TM
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Trademark |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Law & Legal, Medical, Geography & Places, Science & Engineering |
| Also written | Tm |
TM has five meanings. The most common are Trademark (intellectual property) and Transverse myelitis (neurology); it can also stand for Tympanic membrane, Turkmenistan and Thulium.
Meanings of TM at a glance
| # | TM stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trademark | Law & Legal › Intellectual Property |
| 2 | Transverse myelitis | Medical › Neurology |
| 3 | Tympanic membrane | Medical › Anatomy |
| 4 | Turkmenistan | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 5 | Thulium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
1. Trademark
Law & Legal · Intellectual Property Abbreviations
Word, phrase, logo, symbol, design, sound or combination that identifies the source of goods and distinguishes them from those of others. The superscript TM symbol may be used with any claimed mark, registered or not, to signal a claim of rights.
Example: The company added a TM after its new slogan while the application was pending.
Only federally registered marks may carry the circle-R registration symbol in the US, and misusing it can jeopardize a registration. US trademark rights arise from use in commerce, and registration with the USPTO adds nationwide priority and legal presumptions. An older statutory notice reads "Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off." For services, the equivalent symbol is SM.
2. Transverse myelitis
Medical · Neurology Abbreviations
Inflammation across a segment of the spinal cord that causes weakness, sensory loss below a level on the trunk, and bladder and bowel dysfunction, developing over hours to days. Causes include infections, multiple sclerosis, NMOSD, MOG antibody disease and systemic autoimmune diseases.
Example: Ascending numbness to T8 with urinary retention; MRI shows a T7 to T9 enhancing lesion: TM, IV methylprednisolone.
"Transverse" refers to the band-like sensory level across the body at the affected segment. Workup aims to find the underlying cause, because a long lesion spanning three or more segments raises suspicion of NMOSD. Treatment includes high-dose steroids and plasma exchange. Also called acute transverse myelitis (ATM).
3. Tympanic membrane
Medical · Anatomy Abbreviations
The eardrum, a thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear that vibrates with sound and passes it to the ossicles. Otoscopy notes describe its color, translucency, landmarks and mobility to diagnose ear infections, fluid and perforations.
Example: Left TM bulging and erythematous with purulent effusion: acute otitis media.
A normal TM is pearly gray and translucent with a visible cone of light. Bulging of the drum is the most specific sign of acute otitis media in children. Most small perforations heal on their own within weeks, while persistent holes may need tympanoplasty. Outside medicine TM means trademark.
4. Turkmenistan
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Central Asian country with Ashgabat as its capital and TKM as its alpha-3 code, known for the Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed the Gateway to Hell, which has burned since the early 1970s. It holds some of the world's largest gas reserves.
Example: Brands registered .tm domains because the letters match TM, the trademark sign.
Turkmenistan is one of the world's most closed countries. The language code tk is Turkmen, which is Tokelau's country code.
5. Thulium (Tm)
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
One of the rarest lanthanides, thulium (atomic number 69) has specialized uses: thulium-170, made by irradiating the natural isotope, provides compact X-ray sources for portable radiography, and thulium-doped fiber lasers operating near 2 micrometers are used in surgery.
Example: The field radiography unit uses a Tm-170 source that needs no electrical power.
Per Teodor Cleve discovered thulium in 1879 in erbium oxide and named it after Thule, the classical name for a mythical far-northern land often identified with Scandinavia. A fairly pure sample of the metal was not prepared until 1911. Despite its rarity among lanthanides, thulium is more abundant in Earth's crust than silver or gold.
Related abbreviations
More intellectual property abbreviations
- SOU – Statement of use
- SPC – Supplementary protection certificate
- TD – Terminal disclaimer
- TEAS – Trademark Electronic Application System
- TMEP – Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure
- TRIPS – Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
- TTAB – Trademark Trial and Appeal Board
- UDRP – Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy
See all 50 intellectual property abbreviations →
More neurology abbreviations
- TCD – Transcranial Doppler
- TGA – Transient global amnesia
- TIA – Transient ischemic attack
- TLE – Temporal lobe epilepsy
- TN – Trigeminal neuralgia
- tPA – Tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase)
- TS – Tourette syndrome
- TTH – Tension-type headache
See all 131 neurology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical or legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.