A British soldier, especially during World War I. Also a common nickname for Thomas.
From 'Thomas Atkins,' a generic name used in British Army sample forms since the early 19th century. The name became slang for any British soldier, particularly during the World Wars.
The term 'Tommy' for British soldiers came from army paperwork that used 'Thomas Atkins, age 26, married' as a sample entry to show soldiers how to fill out forms. This mundane bureaucratic choice inadvertently created one of the most enduring military nicknames in history, immortalized in Kipling's poem about 'Tommy Atkins.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.