tomium

[ toh-mee-uhm ]

noun

, plural to·mi·a [toh, -mee-, uh].

1. the cutting edge of a bird's bill.

Other Words From

• tomi·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tomium¹

1825–35; < New Latin, equivalent to Greek tóm ( os ) a cutting ( tome ) + New Latin -ium -ium

Example Sentences

This only involves removing 1-2 mm of the tomium by the way – it isn’t anything like the brutal de-beaking indulged in by the factory chicken industry.

From Scientific American

Later oviraptorosaurs were toothless, but the bony premaxillary margins of their upper jaw were serrated, raising the possibility that the tomium was serrated too.

From Scientific American

Tomium, tō′mi-um, n. the cutting edge of a bird's bill.—adj.

From Project Gutenberg