[a. L. Thōmās, Gr. Θωμᾶς.]
1. A Greek, Latin, and common Christian name; well known as that of the ‘doubting apostle’ (see John xx. 25), and hence used allusively; also used as a representative proper name for one of the populace taken at random. Familiarly abbreviated to TOM, the dim. or pet form of which is TOMMY.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John xx. 24. Thomas an of þam twelfon þe ys ʓecweden didimus … næs mid him þa se hælend com.
c. 1275. O. E. Misc., 90. Haly thomas of heoue[n]riche.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 5080. Ȝe, so I drede me, by seynt Thomas.
c. 1620. Robinson, Mary Magd., 1519. O, that I might, with waueringe Thomas, dippe The finger of my faith within his side.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Thomas (Hebr.) signifies twin, or as some will have it, bottomlesse deep.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, M. Barton, xii. Mary, don’t let my being an unbelieving Thomas weaken your faith.
1883. Harper’s Mag., June, 93/1. Doubting Thomases, who will only believe what they see, must wait awhile.
2. Generic name for a footman or waiter.
1846. Mrs. Gore, Eng. Char. (1852), 78. The gossip of one fashionable dinner-table alone, within ear-shot of three or four first-rate Thomases, is sufficient to disperse throughout the town rumours enough to set a hundred families of consideration into a ferment.
1901. Daily Graphic, 23 Feb. The ‘men’ are not any less ‘splendid’ because they are known by this diminutive term [Tommy], any more than waiters are heroic because we give them their full title of ‘Thomas’.
3. Thomas Atkins (also Thomas): a familiar name for the typical private soldier in the British Army; arising out of the casual use of this name in the specimen forms given in the official regulations from 1815 onward: see quots.
In some of the specimen forms other names are used; but ‘Thomas Atkins’ being that used in all the forms for privates in the Cavalry or Infantry, is by far the most frequent, and thus became the most familiar. Now more popularly TOMMY ATKINS or TOMMY q.v.
1815. (Aug. 31) War Office, Collection of Orders, Regulations, etc., 75 (Form of a Soldier’s Book in the Cavalry when filled up). Description, Service, &c. of Thomas Atkins, Private, No. 6 Troop, 6th Regt. of Dragoons. Where Born…. Parish of Odiham, Hants…. Bounty, £6. Received, Thomas Atkins, his × mark. Ibid., 76. Clothing Account of Thomas Atkins, Private, No. 6 Troop, 6th Dragoons…. Clothing Account of William Jones, Trumpeter, No. 2 Troop, 9th Light Dragoons…. Clothing Account of John Thomas, Serjeant, No. 8 Troop, 15th Hussars. [So Forms on pp. 78–81 all ‘Thomas Atkins, Private.’] Ibid., 82. Form of Soldier’s Book in the Infantry, when filled up. Description, Service, etc. of Thomas Atkins, Private, No. 6 Company, 1st Batt. 23d Regt. Foot. Where born [etc.]…. Bounty £7 7s. Received, Thomas Atkins, his × mark. [So Forms on pp. 83–87, all signed ‘Thomas Atkins, his × mark.’)
1837. (June 1) King’s Regulations & Orders for the Army, 204. Form No. 2, No. 55 Thomas Atkins, Serjeant, Born in the Parish of St. Mary in or near the Town of Portsmouth, in the County of Hants, by Trade a Labourer. Ibid., 206–9 [Various Forms, all filled up or subscribed ‘Thomas Atkins’ (who no longer signs by ‘his mark’)]. Ibid., 210. Character: Thomas Atkins has been a well-conducted Soldier; was wounded at ——, and has distinguished himself by several acts of bravery, Signed ——, Commanding Officer.
1864. Stand. Orders Roy. Reg. Artill., 89. Thomas Atkins. Enlisted … on the 9th April, 1857. Ibid. We certify that the above is a correct Statement of the Services of Thomas Atkins, to the 10th June 1887.
1890. Times, 6 Dec., 12/4. Mr. Thomas Atkins … can break it [a rifle] down in half-a-dozen ways in the course of his musketry instruction.
1897. Allahabad Pioneer, in Westm. Gaz., 14 Dec., 7/3. ‘You take my advice, Bill,’ remarked one Thomas to another,… ‘don’t you never stand near no white stone or yet near no horcifer.’
4. St. Thomas’, in composition. St. Thomas’ balsam = balsam of TOLU. † St. Thomas’ coin (also St. Thomas), ? an East Indian coin. St. Thomas’ tree, Bauhinia tomentosa or B. variegata of the E. Indies, the pale yellow petals of which are spotted with crimson, fabled to be the blood of St. Thomas. St. Thomas worsted: see SAINT a. 4 c.
1559. in Marsden, Court Adm. (Selden), II. 110. Novem pecias auri vulgo dictas *Saintte Thomas coyne.
1698. Fryer, Acc. E. India & P., 53. Their Coins are of Gold; a St. Thomas, 10s. a Fanam, 7 and 1/2 of which go to a Dollar, or Petacha.
1866. Treas. Bot., *St. Thomas’ Tree, Bauhinia tomentosa.
1887. Moloney, Forestry W. Afr., 332. St. Thomas’ Tree…. Shrub or small tree.
1518. N. C. Wills (Surtees, 1908), 95. A jaket of tawny *Saint Thomas worsted.
