tummy

American  

[tuhm-ee] / ˈtʌm i /

noun

Informal.

plural

tummies

1. stomach.

   The baby had a pain in his tummy.

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tummy British  

/ ˈtʌmɪ /

noun

1. an informal or childish word for stomach

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Etymology

Origin of tummy

First recorded in 1865–70; nursery alteration of stomach

Explanation

Tummy is an informal shorthand for stomach. This word is mainly used for talking to little kids: "Aw, do you have a tummy ache?" You wouldn't use the word tummy in your human anatomy class, but you might use it when you babysit your two-year-old niece. Infants sometimes have "tummy time," a short period when they are turned onto their stomachs so they can develop their neck and shoulder muscles. Tummy has been in use since the 19th century, and experts guess that it comes from a childish pronunciation of stomach.

Example Sentences

She wants GPs better trained to recognise symptoms sooner, and more research into the condition, stressing it is "not as simple as just having a tummy ache here and there".

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

“They do know when someone someone’s ill, right?” he said to no one before scratching Penny’s tummy and cooing, “You know I’m ill, right? I’m ill!”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

These included reducing lower tummy pain, bloating, straining - and making it easier to poo.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

But then, the bon ton, not content with padding only bums, moved the bustle round to the tummy at the front.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

Evan was pretty happy, his full tummy poking out like a bullfrog, so Ivy set him in the bouncy seat and scooped up Aaron.

From "Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World" by Ashley Herring Blake

Related Words

• abdomen
• belly