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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

thumb en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • [ˈθʌ̈m]
  • /ˈθʌm/

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. The shortest and thickest digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers.
  2. The part of a slider that may be moved linearly along the slider.
    • a scroll-bar thumb
  3. (Internet, colloquial) A thumbnail picture.
  4. A top hatch plate for covering an excavator bucket, used to keep material in the digger bucket after scooping it up, and not letting it spill out.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
thumbs Number=Plur lexicographic
thum alternative, obsolete lexicographic
thume alternative, obsolete lexicographic
thumbe alternative, obsolete lexicographic

Deriveds

pseudothumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-indexed (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbshot (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thimble (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbsucker (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbpiece (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb stone (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb drive (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbmarked (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbstall (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb knot (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbtack (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb piano (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Tom Thumb golf (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumblike (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Tom Thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Nintendo thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbscrew (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbmark (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · rule of thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb wrestler (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-sketch (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbwheel (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · lady's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb a lift (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · under the thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · suck out of one's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · sore thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbpad (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · fash one's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · opposable thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-over (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb position (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · bethumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · tweak of the thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · e-thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbstick (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb tip (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbprinted (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · gamekeeper's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbkin (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbsucking (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbless (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbpot (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Thumb Master (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-toe (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · finger and thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumber (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb ring (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbnail (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbs up (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · get the thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · green thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb on the scale (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · butcher's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · black thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · ball of the thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb war (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · skier's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb fight (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb sketch (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-sized (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbable (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbling (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb splitter (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-a-war (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · bite one's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb blue (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb a ride (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · stick out like a sore thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbhole (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb index (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · climb up one's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · hop-o'-my-thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb-ring (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbsbreadth (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · miller's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · under one's thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbboard (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbpick (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbprint (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · tearthumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Mother Thumb and her four daughters (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbstroke (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · stand out like a sore thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · with a thumb up one's bum (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · Chinese thumb cuff (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb wrestle (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · all fingers and thumbs (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · all thumbs (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumbnut (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · brown thumb (Terms derived from thumb (noun)) · thumb on the scales (Terms derived from thumb (noun))

Hypernyms

digit · finger

Hyponyms

opposable thumb

Synonyms

thumby · pollex · first digit · digit I

Translations (251)

ms empu jari (digit) · hy բութ մատ (digit) · pms pòle (digit) · akz ilbossiki (digit) · esu asaun (digit) · cs palec (digit) · es dedo gordo (digit) · scn puseri (digit) · mi kōnui (digit) · unm kitëlënch (digit) · nan-hbl 大頭拇 /大头拇 (digit) · ruq pulicar (digit) · jv jempol (digit) · rsk вельки палєц (digit) · mfe pous (digit) · bo མཐེ་བོང (digit) · nan-hbl 大拇頭 /大拇头 (digit) · bn অঙ্গুষ্ঠ (digit) · rap matu'a nea nea (digit) · ilo tangan (digit) · ht pous (digit) · mt saba’ l-kbir (digit) · pdt Düme (digit) · duo agradis (digit) · fa ابهام (digit) · dta xereg (digit) · nan-hbl 大拇公 (digit) · kls ǰeṣṭ ạ́ŋgu (digit) · pag tangan (digit) · eo dikfingro (digit) · id induk jari (digit) · af duim (digit) · el αντίχειρας (digit) · dsb wjeliki palc (digit) · om abbuudduu (digit) · dlg улакан чөмүйэ (digit) · sh палац (digit) · km មេដៃ (digit) · id jempol (digit) · tr başparmak (digit) · mk палец (digit) · ms jempol (digit) · fa شست (digit) · no glidebryterhåndtak (part of a slider) · ko 엄지손가락 (digit) · nl duim (digit) · bcl tangan (digit) · nn tommelfinger (digit) · ti ዓባይ ዓባይቶ (digit) · tk başam barmak (digit) · sl palec (digit) · kix phōhkhò nyù (digit) · hi अंगूठा (digit) · mnc ᡶᡝᡵᡥᡝ ᠰᡳᠮᡥᡠᠨ (digit) · cu пальць (digit) · gl escachapiollos (digit) · txb mokoce (digit) · ko 엄지 (digit) · tyv матпаадыр (digit) · fi liu’utin (part of a slider) · te బొటనవేలు (digit) · wyi djŭrt-djurt (digit) · fi peukalo (digit) · nv álátsoh (digit) · bcl tanggurangan (digit) · br bizied-meud (digit) · nb tommelfinger (digit) · mr अंगठा (digit) · kea dedóna (digit) · vi ngón tay cái (digit) · id biang jari (digit) · la pollex (manūs) (digit) · lv īkšķis (digit) · nci huēyi mahpilli (digit) · ksc paama (digit) · nan-hbl 指頭拇公 /指头拇公 (digit) · sq gisht i madh (digit) · yue 手指公 (digit) · izh peukalo (digit) · sma bielkie (digit) · bcl tanggugurang (digit) · ka ცერი (digit) · is þumalfingur (digit) · mkj jaidlap (digit) · ja 親指 (digit) · pa ਅੰਗੂਠਾ (digit) · nan-hbl 大拇翁 (digit) · nds Duum (digit) · uk вели́кий па́лець (digit) · fur poleâr (digit) · enm thombe (digit) · wyi ba-bourn marnang (digit) · he אגודל (digit) · br biz-meud (digit) · el εγκοπή ευρετηρίασης (part of a slider) · eo polekso (digit) · kea dedon (digit) · dlg эрбэк (digit) · rif imez (digit) · th หัวแม่มือ (digit) · nan-hbl 大捗拇 (digit) · rup pulicar (digit) · grc ἀντίχειρ (digit) · alt башпарак (digit) · sh palac (digit) · cy bawd (digit) · fro polz (digit) · is þumall (digit) · myv пелька (digit) · sa अङ्गुष्ठ (digit) · pl kciuk (digit) · win šaak hoxete (digit) · br meud (digit) · pt polegar (digit) · alt эргек (digit) · cmn 大指 (digit) · br meudoù (digit) · et pöial (digit) · sq pulqer (digit) · es dedo pulgar (digit) · ckb ئەسپێکوژە (digit) · oc pulgar (digit) · arc ܟܪܬܐ (digit) · de Daumen (digit) · nog бас бармак (digit) · gug kuãngusu (digit) · vec deolón (digit) · hak 手指頭 /手指头 (digit) · nan-hbl 大捗翁 (digit) · gu અંગૂઠો (digit) · hak 手指公 (digit) · ang þūma (digit) · sah эрбэх (digit) · ab анацәаду (digit) · id empu jari (digit) · ms induk jari (digit) · sw kidole gumba (digit) · da tommelfinger (digit) · lb Daum (digit) · ast pulgar (digit) · smk tangan (digit) · vec masapeoci (digit) · hu hüvelykujj (digit) · ota باش پرمق (digit) · nb tommel (digit) · it pollice (digit) · ru большо́й па́лец (digit) · an pulgar (digit) · ar إِبْهَام (digit) · taa -lochetth (digit) · vec dedón (digit) · pdc Daume (digit) · cmn 大拇哥 (digit) · pam tindaragul (digit) · war tamuragko (digit) · nia turu sebua (digit) · lt nykštys (digit) · esu ayaun (digit) · xal эркә (digit) · pt dedo polegar (digit) · vo döm (digit) · mwr अंगुठौ (digit) · io polexo (digit) · oj midechininj (digit) · fo tummil (digit) · udm пӧлы (digit) · ltg eikss (digit) · az baş barmaq (digit) · nan-hbl 指頭公 /指头公 (digit) · yo àtàǹpàkò (digit) · izh täintappaja (digit) · sms peä´lǧǧ (digit) · es (quiro-)dedo gordo (digit) · nn tommel (digit) · bej tiibálaay (digit) · ga ordóg (digit) · ro deget mare (digit) · bho अंगूठा (digit) · oc poce (digit) · bg па́лец (digit) · ro policar (digit) · sco thoum (digit) · fo tummilfingur (digit) · nan-hbl 大富翁 (digit) · sk palec (digit) · ast dedón (digit) · ca polze (digit) · eu hatz lodi (digit) · zdj shaya sha koo (digit) · cmn 拇指 (digit) · bdr indung (digit) · bba atankparu (digit) · it dito grosso (digit) · krl peigalo (digit) · fro pouz (digit) · sq gisht i madh i dorës (digit) · eu erpuru (digit) · kxd ibu jari (digit) · sv tumme (digit) · ast matapioyos (digit) · es pulgar (digit) · ms ibu jari (digit) · ms biang jari (digit) · da tommeltot (digit) · ny mphatakala (digit) · mnc ᡶᡝᡵᡥᡝ (digit) · fy tomme (digit) · nan-hbl 指頭拇 /指头拇 (digit) · mn ᠡᠷᠡᠬᠡᠢ (digit) · kl kulloq (digit) · id ibu jari (digit) · my ဒေါက်တို (digit) · pjt maṟa mama (digit) · my လက်မ (digit) · su jempol (digit) · nrf ponchet (digit) · av буртӏинкилищ (digit) · os хистӕр ӕнгуылдз (digit) · mh addi-lep (digit) · th นิ้วหัวแม่มือ (digit) · se bealgi (digit) · ia pollice (digit) · gl polgar (digit) · gd òrdag (digit) · gl matapiollos (digit) · ky баш бармак (digit) · ceb kumagko (digit) · rcf pous (digit) · smn pelgi (digit) · aht -lacotsʼ (digit) · th นิ้วโป้ง (digit) · iu ᑯᓪᓗ (digit) · ast deda (digit) · nds Dumen (digit) · es pólice (digit) · cop ⲧⲏⲃ ⲛⲧⲓⲛⲓ (digit) · dv ބޮޑުވައި އިގިލި (digit) · tl hinlalaki (digit) · yi גראָבער פֿינגער (digit) · esu kul'u (digit) · rup pilicar (digit) · bn বুড়া আঙ্গুল (digit) · fr pouce (digit) · kk бас бармақ (digit) · bo མཐེ་པོ (digit) · mn эрхий (digit) · ba баш бармаҡ (digit) · cmn 大拇指 (digit) · arz إبهام (digit) · be вялі́кі па́лец (digit) · sga ordu (digit)

wikidata: Q83360

thumb en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • [ˈθʌ̈m]
  • /ˈθʌm/

Etymology

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.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To touch or cover with the thumb.
    • to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon
    • News agencies reported Lavrov had been sent to hospital for a checkup, only for the Russian foreign ministry to rush out a picture of Lavrov in shorts, sporting an Apple watch and Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired T-shirt, thumbing his notes for his first address at the summit on Tuesday. 2022 November 15, Patrick Wintour, “Sergei Lavrov, a fixture of Russian diplomacy facing his toughest test in Ukraine”, in The Guardian:
  2. (transitive, with through) To turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily.
    • thumb through
    • I thumbed through the book and decided not to bother reading it all.
    • It is also disconcerting when you suddenly realise that the driver isn't steering, but may be thumbing over his Customs papers with his feet up. 1948 March and April, “Notes and News: Lines in County Donegal”, in Railway Magazine, page 129:
  3. To gesture with the thumb, for example when flagging a ride.
    • Oh, look! There’s a car coming! Thumb-no, wave. They probably don’t understand thumbing. 1977, Diana Wynne Jones, Charmed Life:
  4. To hitchhike.
    • So I started thumbin' back east, toward my hometown.
    • Thumbed a diesel down, outside a cafe. 1980, Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan, Smoky Mountain Rain:
    • Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained. 1969, Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster, Me and Bobby McGee:
  5. To soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling.
    • 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. 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XIII, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
  6. To manipulate (an object) with the thumb; especially, to pull back the hammer or open the cylinder of a revolver.
    • Rainford reached down and found the revolver. Thumbing the cylinder open, he inspected the load. 2015, Tony Monchinski, Bad Men (I Kill Monsters Book 3):
    • Andy opened the revolver, thumbed in a cartridge. 2015, Don Fitzsimmons, If You Need a Laugh:
    • Fargo palmed out his own revolver, thumbing back the hammer as the barrel came up. 2009, Jon Sharp, The Trailsman #337: Silver Showdown:
  7. To fire (a single action revolver) quickly by pulling the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed.
    • To thumb a single-action revolver, hold down the trigger and use the thumb on the same hand to fire the gun by manipulating the hammer. 2011, Hans-Christian Vortisch, GURPS Tactical Shooting, page 14:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
thum alternative, obsolete lexicographic
thumbed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
thumbed Tense=Past lexicographic
thume alternative, obsolete lexicographic
thumbe alternative, obsolete lexicographic
thumbing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
thumbs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

thumb one's nose (Terms derived from thumb (verb)) · thumb a ride (Terms derived from thumb (verb)) · thumb down (Terms derived from thumb (verb)) · thumb through (Terms derived from thumb (verb)) · well-thumbed (Terms derived from thumb (verb)) · thumb a lift (Terms derived from thumb (verb))

Relateds

fanning (firing a single action revolver via hammer flicks while trigger is held down)

Synonyms

peruse · peruse (to turn pages) · flip through · page (to turn pages) · leaf (to turn pages) · browse (to turn pages)

Translations (12)

fi selailla (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · cmn 翻閱 /翻阅 (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · de durchblättern (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · fi peukaloida (touch with the thumb) · ru перели́стывать (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · ru проли́стывать (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · bg прелиствам (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · ru листа́ть (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · fr feuilleter (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily) · ru мусо́лить (touch with the thumb) · fi koskea peukalolla (touch with the thumb) · tr sayfaları karıştırmak (turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily)