Tom and Jerry are two iconic animated characters from the American cartoon series "Tom and Jerry."

• Tom is a gray and white domestic shorthair cat, originally named Jasper in his debut appearance. He is usually portrayed as living a comfortable life but is known for his constant attempts to catch Jerry, the mouse. Tom is larger and more energetic but often outwitted by Jerry.
• Jerry is a small brown house mouse who lives near Tom. Despite his smaller size, Jerry is clever, strong for his size, and often gets the best of Tom in their escapades.

The show revolves around the humorous and usually silent chase scenarios between Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse, often ending with Jerry outsmarting Tom. Occasionally, they have moments of friendship or mutual defeat. The characters were created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera for Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer in 1940 and are among the most famous and enduring characters in animation history.