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Tom vs Dave - What's the difference?

tom | dave |

As a noun tom

is splash (onomatopoeia).

As a verb dave is

to assuage; soften; mitigate; relieve; calm; alleviate (pain).

tom

English

Etymology 1

From generic use of the proper name Tom .

Noun

(en noun)
  • The male of the domesticated cat.
  • The male of the turkey.
  • The male of certain other animals.
  • (British, slang) A prostitute.
  • (music) A type of drum.
  • (obsolete) The jack of trumps in the card game gleek.
    • Synonyms
    * (male cat) tomcat, he-cat * (male turkey) turkey-cock * (male of other animals) male * (prostitute) See also
    Derived terms
    * tomboy * tomcat * tomfool * tom-tit

    Etymology 2

    Shortened from tomato

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tomato (the fruit).
    • Toms 90p a pound

    Etymology 3

    Rhyming slang from tomfoolery.

    Noun

    (-)
  • (Cockney rhyming slang) jewellery

    • Etymology 4

    From Uncle Tom.

    Verb

    (tomm)
  • (intransitive, derogatory, of a black person) To act in an obsequiously servile manner toward white authority.

    • Etymology 5

    Verb

    (tomm)
  • (nautical) To dig out a hole below the hatch cover of a bulker and fill it with cargo or weights to aid stability.

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    dave

    English

    Proper noun

    (en proper noun)
  • A diminutive of the male given name David.
  • * 1994 , The Merry Recluse: A Life in Essays , Counterpoint Press 2004, ISBN 1582433135, page 169, 170:
    • David, with its final "d", sounds finished and complete, whereas Dave' just kind of hangs there in the air, indefinitely. - - - Worse, if your name is ' Dave , the only possible nickname is "Davey", which makes you sound like you should be wearing a coonskin cap.

    Related terms

    * Davey * Davie

    Anagrams

    * * * English diminutives of male given names