Tome vs. Volume — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on May 6, 2024
A "tome" refers to a large or scholarly book, often part of a series, while a "volume" specifically denotes a single book within a series or a single book's bounded collection of pages.
Difference Between Tome and Volume
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A tome is characterized by its size and often its comprehensive or scholarly nature. Volumes, however, are individual parts of a series or multi-book work and can vary widely in size or content.
Tomes are often associated with dense academic writing or literary works of significant length, whereas volumes are structural units within larger series and can encompass any subject matter.
A tome can stand alone or be part of a multi-part collection, while volumes specifically imply belonging to a broader set, often numbered or thematically grouped.
Although both terms denote physical books, tomes often evoke a sense of heaviness and depth in reading material, while volumes emphasize their relationship to other books in a set.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Large, often scholarly book
Individual book within a series
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Size
Generally large
Can vary in size
Connotation
Comprehensive, dense
Part of a multi-part series
Stand-alone?
Can be independent or part of series
Always part of a larger work
Usage
Academic, literary
Any subject matter
Compare with Definitions
Tome
Large, scholarly book.
The historian spent years writing his latest tome on the subject.
Volume
Physical collection of pages.
Each volume in the set is richly illustrated.
Tome
Heavy, comprehensive volume.
The thick tome of legal guidelines is overwhelming.
Volume
Single book in a series.
This is volume two of the mystery trilogy.
Tome
Book requiring deep study.
The tome on philosophy challenged all readers.
Volume
Collected work bound together.
The volume contains multiple essays on environmental science.
Tome
Extensive work in a field.
Her tome on anthropology was widely cited.
Volume
Numbered book part of a set.
I'm missing volume four of the encyclopedia.
Tome
Academic book often found in libraries.
The library shelves are filled with ancient tomes.
Volume
Section within a larger work.
The complete works span five volumes.
Tome
One of the books in a work of several volumes.
Volume
A collection of written or printed sheets bound together; a book.
Tome
A book, especially a large or scholarly one.
Volume
Volume is the quantity of three-dimensional space enclosed by a closed surface, for example, the space that a substance (solid, liquid, gas, or plasma) or 3D shape occupies or contains. Volume is often quantified numerically using the SI derived unit, the cubic metre.
Tome
A book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one
A weighty tome
Volume
One of the books of a work printed and bound in more than one book.
Tome
One in a series of volumes.
Volume
A series of issues of a periodical, usually covering one calendar year.
Tome
A large or scholarly book.
The professor pulled a dusty old tome from the bookshelf.
Volume
A unit of written material assembled together and cataloged in a library.
Tome
As many writings as are bound in a volume, forming part of a larger work; a book; - usually applied to a ponderous volume.
Tomes of fable and of dream.
A more childish expedient than that to which he now resorted is not to be found in all the tomes of the casuists.
Volume
A roll of parchment; a scroll.
Tome
A (usually) large and scholarly book
Volume
The amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space, expressed in cubic units.
Volume
The capacity of such a region or of a specified container, expressed in cubic units.
Volume
Amount; quantity:a low volume of business; a considerable volume of lumber.
Volume
OftenvolumesA large amount:volumes of praise.
Volume
The amplitude or loudness of a sound.
Volume
A control, as on a radio, for adjusting amplitude or loudness.
Volume
A three-dimensional measure of space that comprises a length, a width and a height. It is measured in units of cubic centimeters in metric, cubic inches or cubic feet in English measurement.
The room is 9x12x8, so its volume is 864 cubic feet.
The proper products can improve your hair's volume.
Volume
Strength of sound; loudness.
Please turn down the volume on the stereo.
Volume can be measured in decibels.
Volume
The issues of a periodical over a period of one year.
I looked at this week's copy of the magazine. It was volume 23, issue 45.
Volume
A bound book.
Volume
A single book of a publication issued in multi-book format, such as an encyclopedia.
The letter "G" was found in volume 4.
Volume
A great amount (of meaning) about something.
Volume
(obsolete) A roll or scroll, which was the form of ancient books.
Volume
Quantity.
The volume of ticket sales decreased this week.
Volume
A rounded mass or convolution.
Volume
(economics) The total supply of money in circulation or, less frequently, total amount of credit extended, within a specified national market or worldwide.
Volume
(computing) An accessible storage area with a single file system, typically resident on a single partition of a hard disk.
Volume
(bodybuilding) The total of weight worked by a muscle in one training session, the weight of every single repetition summed up.
Volume
(intransitive) To be conveyed through the air, waft.
Volume
(transitive) To cause to move through the air, waft.
Volume
(intransitive) To swell.
Volume
A roll; a scroll; a written document rolled up for keeping or for use, after the manner of the ancients.
The papyrus, and afterward the parchment, was joined together [by the ancients] to form one sheet, and then rolled upon a staff into a volume (volumen).
Volume
Hence, a collection of printed sheets bound together, whether containing a single work, or a part of a work, or more than one work; a book; a tome; especially, that part of an extended work which is bound up together in one cover; as, a work in four volumes.
An odd volume of a set of books bears not the value of its proportion to the set.
Volume
Anything of a rounded or swelling form resembling a roll; a turn; a convolution; a coil.
So glides some trodden serpent on the grass,And long behind wounded volume trails.
Undulating billows rolling their silver volumes.
Volume
Dimensions; compass; space occupied, as measured by cubic units, that is, cubic inches, feet, yards, etc.; mass; bulk; as, the volume of an elephant's body; a volume of gas.
Volume
Amount, fullness, quantity, or caliber of voice or tone.
Volume
The amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object;
The gas expanded to twice its original volume
Volume
The property of something that is great in magnitude;
It is cheaper to buy it in bulk
He received a mass of correspondence
The volume of exports
Volume
Physical objects consisting of a number of pages bound together;
He used a large book as a doorstop
Volume
A publication that is one of a set of several similar publications;
The third volume was missing
He asked for the 1989 volume of the Annual Review
Volume
A relative amount;
Mix one volume of the solution with ten volumes of water
Volume
The magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction);
The kids played their music at full volume
Common Curiosities
Can a volume be short?
Yes, volumes vary in length and are not defined by size.
Are tomes only for scholarly works?
While often academic, tomes can be literary or related to any detailed subject.
Is "volume" always a numbered part of a series?
Generally, yes, volumes are individual parts of a multi-book set.
Is the term "tome" commonly used today?
"Tome" is less common but still used, often with scholarly or humorous connotations.
Is a volume always physically separate from others in a series?
Not necessarily; sometimes multiple volumes are bound together.
Do all academic books qualify as tomes?
Not necessarily, only particularly comprehensive or lengthy ones are usually considered tomes.
Can a volume belong to multiple sets?
Rarely, as volumes are usually specifically organized for a single set.
Does a tome have to be part of a series?
No, a tome can be a stand-alone work or part of a series.
Are all encyclopedias divided into volumes?
Most encyclopedias are divided into volumes for easier reference.
Do tomes come in electronic formats?
Yes, tomes can be found in both print and digital forms.
Can a volume contain multiple smaller works?
Yes, a volume can include collections of essays, stories, or articles.
What type of book is rarely considered a tome?
Light reading material or thin books are unlikely to be referred to as tomes.
Is a single volume comprehensive?
Not always; some volumes only cover a portion of the whole subject.
Do tomes and volumes overlap in meaning?
Not directly; tomes focus on the book’s content, while volumes relate to the set structure.
Can volumes be standalone works?
Volumes are usually not stand-alone but part of a set.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
