I. -ˈtäm noun
Etymology: Uncle Tom, pious and faithful black slave in Uncle Tom's Cabin (1851-52) by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Date: 1922
1. : a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)
2. : a member of a low-status group who is overly subservient to or cooperative with authority
the worst floor managers and supervisors by far are women…Some of them are regular Uncle Toms — Jane Fonda
• Uncle Tom·ism -ˈtä-ˌmi-zəm noun
II. intransitive verb
( Uncle Tommed ; Uncle Tom·ming )
Date: 1947
: to behave like an Uncle Tom