toc emma en · NOUN
Etymology
Telecommunications abbreviation of TM.
Meanings
-
(historical, slang) Trench mortar.
After dark the toch-emmas are going to break the Boche wire and we'll cut a passage in ours.
1928, RC Sherriff, Journey's End:'Field artillery?' 'No. Toc-emmas.' He was referring to trench-mortars.
2010, Rebecca Wilby, In Different Skies, page 180:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| toch emma | alternative | lexicographic | |
| tock emma | alternative | lexicographic | |
| toc emmas | Number=Plur | lexicographic |