Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a promiscuous woman.

1610

Jonson Alchemist V v: Did not I say, I would never ha’ you tupped / But by a dubbed boy, to make you a lady tom?

2. (Aus.) a woman; also a generic term for women in general (see cit. 1914).

1894		Truth (Sydney) 30 Sept. 1/5: The little tom wot’s goin’ to be my mate.
1904		Sun. Times (Perth) 18 Dec. 4/8: I’m blowed if I knows ’ow these other Toms keeps their bit o’ lace from goin’ on an explorin’ expedition.
1911		E. Dyson ‘The Picnic’ Benno and Some of the Push 9: Here’s me bin ’n’ parted the beans t’ bring a tom along, ’n’ the Don backs his barrer ’n’ burgles her.
1914		E. Dyson Spats’ Fact’ry (1922) 92: He notes the quantities iv Tom trippin’ in here daily.
1915		C.J. Dennis ‘The Intro’ Songs of a Sentimental Bloke 19: A squarer tom, I swear, I never seen, / In all me natchril, than this ’ere Doreen.
1942		Dly News (NY) 30 May 10/3: In Australia a girl is a cliner or a tom, or (not so polite) a shelia [sic] or (most impolite) a tart.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 11: I repeated my name three times so the little tom would get it well fixed in her mind and tipped her five shillings.
2000		Sun. Times News Rev. 12 Mar. 1: ‘So the Toms could smuggle in the ...’ Toms? He sighs: ‘Oh, girls.’.