pollex

American  

[pol-eks] / ˈpɒl ɛks /

noun

• pollices
  plural

1. the innermost digit of the forelimb; thumb.

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pollex British  

/ ˈpɒlɛks /

noun

1. the first digit of the forelimb of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, such as the thumb of man and other primates

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pollical
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pollices
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pollex

Borrowed into English from Latin around 1825–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pollex

Eohippus—Lower Eocene of America; fore-feet have four toes and a rudimentary thumb or pollex.

From Creation and Its Records by Baden Henry Baden-Powell

A. The thumb hath three, but the third is joined to the arm, therefore is stronger than the other fingers; and is called pollex or polico, that is, to excel in strength.

From The Works of Aristotle the Famous Philosopher Containing his Complete Masterpiece and Family Physician; his Experienced Midwife, his Book of Problems and his Remarks on Physiognomy by Aristotle

The pollex and the third finger are as a rule reduced to one phalanx each, while the index still has two.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various

Masculine: apex, peak; cōdex, tree-trunk; grex, flock; imbrex, tile; pollex, thumb; vertex, summit; calix, cup.

From New Latin Grammar by Charles E. (Charles Edwin) Bennett

All have dark brown nuptial tuberosities on the pollex.

From A Distributional Study of the Amphibians of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico by William E. Duellman

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