thumb

[Thumb]

The thick short innermost digit of the forelimb

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The short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex.

Noun
a convex molding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or of an ellipse

Noun
the part of a glove that provides a covering for the thumb

Noun
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb

Verb
feel or handle with the fingers; "finger the binding of the book"

Verb
travel by getting free rides from motorists

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Verb
look through a book or other written material; "He thumbed through the report"; "She leafed through the volume"

n.
The short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex.

v. t.
To handle awkwardly.

v. t.
To play with the thumbs, or with the thumbs and fingers; as, to thumb over a tune.

v. t.
To soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling; also, to cover with the thumb; as, to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon.

v. i.
To play with the thumb or thumbs; to play clumsily; to thrum.

Thumb

Thumb , n. [OE. thombe, thoumbe, ume, AS. ma; akin to OFries. thma, D. duim, G. daumen, OHG. dmo, Icel. umall, Dan. tommelfinger, Sw. tunne, and perhaps to L. tumere to swell. 'fb56. Cf. Thimble, Tumid.] The short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex.
Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring.
Thumb band, a twist of anything as thick as the thumb. Mortimer. -- Thumb blue, indigo in the form of small balls or lumps, used by washerwomen to blue linen, and the like. -- Thumb latch, a door latch having a lever formed to be pressed by the thumb. -- Thumb mark. (a) The mark left by the impression of a thumb, as on the leaves of a book. Longfellow. (b) The dark spot over each foot in finely bred black and tan terriers. -- Thumb nut, a nut for a screw, having wings to grasp between the thumb and fingers in turning it; also, a nut with a knurled rim for the same perpose. -- Thumb ring, a ring worn on the thumb. Shak. -- Thumb stall. (a) A kind of thimble or ferrule of iron, or leather, for protecting the thumb in making sails, and in other work. (b) (Mil.) A buckskin cushion worn on the thumb, and used to close the vent of a cannon while it is sponged, or loaded. -- Under one's thumb, completely under one's power or influence; in a condition of subservience. [Colloq.]

Thumb

Thumb, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Thumbed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Thumbing .] 1. To handle awkwardly. Johnson. 2. To play with the thumbs, or with the thumbs and fingers; as, to thumb over a tune. 3. To soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling; also, to cover with the thumb; as, to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon.
He gravely informed the enemy that all his cards had been thumbed to pieces, and begged them to let him have a few more packs.

Thumb

Thumb, v. i. To play with the thumb or thumbs; to play clumsily; to thrum.

The short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex.

To handle awkwardly.

To play with the thumb or thumbs; to play clumsily; to thrum.

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Usage Examples

Start with God - the first step in learning is bowing down to God only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.

For myself I hold no preferences among flowers, so long as they are wild, free, spontaneous. Bricks to all greenhouses! Black thumb and cutworm to the potted plant!

Here's a very good rule of thumb in politics: losing begets losing.

Misspelled Form

thumb, rthumb, 5thumb, 6thumb, ythumb, gthumb, rhumb, 5humb, 6humb, yhumb, ghumb, trhumb, t5humb, t6humb, tyhumb, tghumb, tghumb, tyhumb, tuhumb, tjhumb, tnhumb, tgumb, tyumb, tuumb, tjumb, tnumb, thgumb, thyumb, thuumb, thjumb, thnumb, thyumb, th7umb, th8umb, thiumb, thjumb, thymb, th7mb, th8mb, thimb, thjmb, thuymb, thu7mb, thu8mb, thuimb, thujmb, thunmb, thujmb, thukmb, thu,mb, thu mb, thunb, thujb, thukb, thu,b, thu b, thumnb, thumjb, thumkb, thum,b, thum b, thumvb, thumgb, thumhb, thumnb, thum b, thumv, thumg, thumh, thumn, thum , thumbv, thumbg, thumbh, thumbn, thumb .

Other Usage Examples

There's a rule of thumb in politics. If you're at a point where you're complaining about the other guy being mean and unfair and uncivil, that's probably a sign that you're losing.

The classic rule of thumb is that if you are an intellectual ideological magazine, you do better in opposition than you do if your views are reflected by people in power.

Here is a pretty good rule of thumb for Democratic Presidents: if it didn't work for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who won four terms and a World War, it probably won't work for you either.