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thumb

UK/ˈθʌm/ US/ˈθʌ̈m/ fairly common informal
noun (3) verb (3)

noun

1.

the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb

Synonyms
2.

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

3.

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

Synonyms

verb

1.

travel by getting free rides from motorists

Synonyms
2.

look through a book or other written material

  • “He thumbed through the report”
  • “She leafed through the volume”
Synonyms
3.

feel or handle with the fingers

  • “finger the binding of the book”
Synonyms

Origin

Derived from Middle English thombe, thoume, thoumbe (“thumb”), from Old English þūma (“thumb”), from Proto-West Germanic *þūmō (“thumb”), from Proto-Germanic *þūmô (“thumb”), from Proto-Indo-European *tūm- (“to grow”). Cognate with West Frisian tomme (“thumb”), Dutch duim (“thumb”), Low German Duum (“thumb”), German Daumen (“thumb”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk tomme (“inch”), Norn tum (“thumb”), Swedish tumme (“thumb”), tum (“inch”), Russian дюйм (djujm, “inch”), Ancient Greek τύμβος (túmbos, “burial mound”). Also compare Welsh tyfu (“to grow”), Latin tumēre (“to swell”), Lithuanian tumėti (“to thicken, clot”), Avestan 𐬀𐬨𐬏𐬙 (amūt, “strong”), Sanskrit तुम्र (túmra, “strong, thick”). The parasitic ‐b has existed since the late 13th century. Doublet of tomb.

Phrases

  • all fingers and thumbs Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • all thumbs Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • ball of the thumb Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • bite one's thumb Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • black thumb Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • brown thumb Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • butcher's thumb Terms derived from thumb (noun)
  • Chinese thumb cuff Terms derived from thumb (noun)

Related words

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.