Thomas

plural Thomases

1. derogatoryAn infidel or doubter.

   […] and if the surgeons do not preserve you, and place you on view, in pickle, they ought to, for the sake of historical doubters, for no one will believe that there ever was a man like you, unless you yourself are somewhere around to prove them Thomases.

   1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle

plural Thomases

1. countableuncountableAn Apostle, best remembered for doubting the resurrection of Jesus.

   1 more example

   But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the LORD. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 20:24–25

2. countableuncountableA male given name from Aramaic of biblical origin, popular since the 13th century.

   "Good,—that's a whack. What's your name?" / "Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer." / "That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"

   1876, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], chapter VI, in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Hartford, Conn.: The American Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 70

   2 more examples

   - - - goodness we scarcely have a name for the baby yet now all of you must take a vote, all of you, but let's have a nice simple name like Thomas don't you think I hate elaborate names, do please all of you vote for Thomas..."

   1941, Judith Kelly, Marriage is a Private Affair, Harper, published 1944, page 133

   In 2019, BfV President Thomas Haldenwang said members showed “clear evidence of an anti-immigration and particularly anti-Muslim attitude,” which is contrary to Germany’s democratic principles.

   2023 May 24, Nadine Schmidt and Sophie Tanno, “Germany intensifies scrutiny of far-right AfD, labeling its youth wing ‘extremist’”, in CNN

3. countableuncountableA common surname originating as a patronymic.

   CBS, the BBC's US news partner, said that VOA employees were notified in an email by Crystal Thomas, the USAGM human resources director.

   2025 March 16, Thomas Mackintosh & Merlyn Thomas, “Trump moves to close down Voice of America”, in BBC

   2 more examples

   The reappearance of Dylan and Caitlin Thomas brought her the excitement again of literary gatherings and much uninhibited partying.²²³ For a woman of 41 the Thomases represented fun and an opportunity not to play second fiddle to a disapproving husband who was very clear as to what he wanted but not sensitive to her social needs.

   2006, Chris Wrigley, A.J.P. Taylor: Radical Historian of Europe, London – New York: I.B. Tauris, →ISBN, page 182

   Born on a US military base, the son of a US citizen father serving in the Army, Jermaine Thomas never considered he might not be American.

   2025 July 8, Zoe Sottile, “He was born to a US citizen soldier on an army base in Germany. Now he’s been deported to Jamaica, a country he’d never been to”, in CNN, archived from the original on 10 Jul 2025

4. A number of places in the United States:
   1. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Bureau County, Illinois.
   2. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Daviess County, Indiana.
   3. countableuncountableA city in Custer County, Oklahoma.

      Located in northeastern Custer County, Thomas is situated at the intersection of State Highways 33 and 47. Originally, Thomas was a trading point where William Thomas had a general store and served as the first postmaster of a post office designated on February 12, 1894.

      2009, Linda D. Wilson, “Thomas”, in The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture, Oklahoma Historical Society, retrieved 13 Mar 2020

   4. countableuncountableA ghost town in Linn County, Oregon.
   5. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Hamlin County, South Dakota.
   6. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Buchanan County, Virginia.
   7. countableuncountableA former community in King County, Washington.
   8. countableuncountableA minor city in Tucker County, West Virginia.
   9. countableuncountableA number of townships in the United States, listed under Thomas Township.