the short, thick, inner digit of the human hand, next to the forefinger.
the corresponding digit in other animals; pollex.
the part of a glove or mitten for containing this digit.
Architecture. an ovolo or echinus molding.
verb (used with object)
to soil or wear with the thumbs in handling, as the pages of a book.
to glance through (the pages of a book, leaflet, etc.) quickly.
to play (a guitar or other instrument) with or as with the thumbs.
(of a hitchhiker) to solicit or get (a ride) by pointing the thumb in the desired direction of travel.
Idioms for thumb
all thumbs, awkward; clumsy; bungling: The visitor almost knocked over a vase and seemed to be all thumbs.
thumb one's nose,
to put one's thumb to one's nose and extend the fingers as a crudely defiant or contemptuous gesture.
to express defiance or contempt; dismiss or reject contemptuously.
thumbs down, a gesture or expression of dissent or disapproval: We turned thumbs down to that suggestion.
thumbs up, a gesture or expression of assent or approval.
under one's thumb, under the power or influence of; subordinate to.Also under the thumb of.
Origin of thumb
before 900; Middle English; Old English thūma; cognate with Dutch duim,Old Saxon, Old High German dūmo (German Daumen), Old Norse thumall; akin to Latin tumēre to swell (tumor)
OTHER WORDS FROM thumb
thumbless,adjectivethumblike,adjective
Words nearby thumb
thuggee, thuja, Thule, thulia, thulium, thumb, thumb a ride, thumb drive, thumber, thumb forceps, thumb glass
It was possible to pinch your thumb and forefinger together for a button press or rub the two fingers together to spin a dial.
New Google Nest Thermostat hits the FCC, possibly with air gesture controls|Ron Amadeo|September 11, 2020|Ars Technica
Six feet is a good rule of thumb for reducing the risk of getting infected, and there are ways to make sure people stay that far apart.
Here’s how COVID-19 is changing classes this year|Bethany Brookshire|September 8, 2020|Science News For Students
Adding up all those costs, drawing on the latest research, the report comes up with with a total externalities cost of between $800 and $1,400 per tonne, with “at least $1,000” used as a reasonable rule of thumb.
Big Oil’s hopes are pinned on plastics. It won’t end well.|David Roberts|September 4, 2020|Vox
It differentiates between products and services and uses a binary thumbs up or down system like Facebook, rather than a point or star-ratings system like Google.
Apple Ratings is coming to iOS 14, how disruptive will it be?|Greg Sterling|September 1, 2020|Search Engine Land
Linking to your other blog posts from a relating one has become a rule of thumb in writing blog posts.
SEO on a shoestring budget: What small business owners can do to win|Ali Faagba|June 4, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Pete stuck his thumb out at the age of 17 and hitch hiked out of Birmingham, England.
Unique Synonyms For Human Body PartsOur body parts work wonders, so they deserve to have some wondrous names. We think you'll give these unique words for parts of the body two thumbs up.
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Words related to thumb
claw, hook, ring finger, feel, advise, greet, address, employ, shape, wield, handle, lick, pat, rub, tap, reach, stroke, caress, brush, kiss
Medical definitions for thumb
thumb
[ thŭm ]
n.
The short thick digit of the human hand, next to the index finger and opposable to each of the other four digits.