thumb
Americannoun
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thumbs
plural
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the short, thick, inner digit of the human hand, next to the forefinger.
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the corresponding digit in other animals; pollex.
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the part of a glove or mitten for containing this digit.
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Architecture. an ovolo or echinus molding.
verb (used with object)
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thumbs,
present (3rd person singular)
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thumbed,
past participle, past
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thumbing
present participle
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to soil or wear with the thumbs in handling, as the pages of a book.
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to glance through (the pages of a book, leaflet, etc.) quickly.
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to play (a guitar or other instrument) with or as with the thumbs.
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(of a hitchhiker) to solicit or get (a ride) by pointing the thumb in the desired direction of travel.
idioms
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thumbs up, a gesture or expression of assent or approval.
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under one's thumb, under the power or influence of; subordinate to. Also under the thumb of.
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thumb one's nose,
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to put one's thumb to one's nose and extend the fingers as a crudely defiant or contemptuous gesture.
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to express defiance or contempt; dismiss or reject contemptuously.
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thumbs down, a gesture or expression of dissent or disapproval.
We turned thumbs down to that suggestion.
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all thumbs, awkward; clumsy; bungling.
The visitor almost knocked over a vase and seemed to be all thumbs.
noun
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Technical name: pollex. the first and usually shortest and thickest of the digits of the hand, composed of two short bones
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the corresponding digit in other vertebrates
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the part of a glove shaped to fit the thumb
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architect another name for ovolo
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clumsy
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an indication of refusal, disapproval, or negation
he gave the thumbs down on our proposal
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an indication of encouragement, approval, or acceptance
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at someone's mercy or command
verb
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(tr) to touch, mark, or move with the thumb
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to attempt to obtain (a lift or ride) by signalling with the thumb
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to flip the pages of (a book, magazine, etc) perfunctorily in order to glance at the contents
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to deride or mock, esp by placing the thumb on the nose with fingers extended
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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thumbsimple
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thumbssimple
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have thumbedperfect
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has thumbedperfect
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am thumbingprogressive
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are thumbingprogressive
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is thumbingprogressive
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have been thumbingperfect progressive
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has been thumbingperfect progressive
Past
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thumbedsimple
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had thumbedperfect
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was thumbingprogressive
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were thumbingprogressive
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had been thumbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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 )
Explanation
Your thumb is the fifth digit on your hand, the one that doesn't quite match your fingers. Thumbs help us grip objects with care and precision — it would be difficult to hold chopsticks without a thumb. Humans are more dextrous than our closest primate relatives because of our nimble thumbs. They're opposable, so we can move them forward and touch them to our fingers. Some monkeys share this trait, and they're the best able to use primitive tools. Your thumbs make it possible for you to brush your teeth, write with a pen, and snap. You can also thumb through the pages of a book — in other words, turn each page with your thumb.
Vocabulary lists containing thumb
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Global expansion could be the ultimate test of A7’s ability to thumb its nose at Western financial gatekeepers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
One rule of thumb in investing is that the older one gets, the more conservative the investment portfolio should be in order to prevent stock-market volatility from wrecking retirement plans.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
A Mediterranean summer on fire has become a genre now, a seasonal rerun we thumb past on the way to something else.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Agencies cannot put a thumb on the scale by taking account of a rule’s costs but not its benefits, particularly when there are established techniques for valuing the benefits.
From Slate ● Aug. 2, 2026
He sees Mr. Kellerman in the corner and hooks a thumb at him.
From "Popcorn" by Rob Harrell
As he walked in to court, he refused to answer questions but gave a thumbs up and said: "Wish me luck guys. See you soon, hopefully."
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
You cannot apply logic to his work — every choice thumbs its nose at the real world — and I rarely like the overall result.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
On Tuesday afternoon, Harry smiled and gave a thumbs up to crowds as he stepped into his car following an Invictus Games event.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
How have they built entire cities and extensive infrastructure with no thumbs?
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
Will backed the car, turned it around, looked out the window to give them the thumbs up signal, and drove away.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
He has largely thumbed his nose at them over the Epstein files.
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
In October, I thumbed through snapshots my mother had stashed in albums, envelopes and shoeboxes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
While other kids were popping CDs into their center consoles, Dudelson thumbed through bins of one-dollar records.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2025
Most do not put their content online; this is journalism meant to be thumbed through, not swiped past.
From New York Times ● Jun. 16, 2024
While I waited I thumbed through the pictures Detective Kreizler Dropboxed me from JoJo’s phone.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
If you are thumbing through the brochure/paperwork, it will be there in black and white.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026
Watching the show felt like thumbing through TikTok, assaulted by walls of sound, garish ads and the occasional familiar face.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Christina Ramberg and Martha Edelheit upend notions of sexiness in their paintings, thumbing their noses at the “male gaze.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
He points out that engineers are no different from the rest of us when it comes to thumbing through a manual.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
“Just as I suspected,” he continued, opening a large dusty book and thumbing through the pages.
From "The Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
