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:
Once everything is in place, Gardner tests the fire — there are buttons he presses with each thumb to ignite the flame.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
“I’m not a huge fan of rules of thumb in the first place,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 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
Now, bring your fingers together with your thumb holding down your little finger and rest the bottom of the three remaining fingers on the horizon again.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
His hand moved up to my face, and his thumb rubbed my cheekbone.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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
How have they built entire cities and extensive infrastructure with no thumbs?
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
While being couriered to the airport, some British passengers - clad in blue PPE - waved and gave thumbs up as they drove past the assembled media.
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
And until the software catches up to our thumbs, the best defense against typos is decidedly low-tech: Read your message before you hit Send.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026
Mick cupped her hands, clamped them tight together, and blew through the crack between her thumbs.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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
I’ve thumbed through it daily since returning, smiling at her love of art and dedication to the coloring craft, but also to remember that every day I’ll have my mom’s guidance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2025
Guests thumbed through the order of service, which one Muslim guest in the pews said was “very helpful” for navigating the Christian ceremony.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
I grabbed the magazine and thumbed through the pages, searching for the Jackson Five.
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
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
And arm yourself with simple pantry staples that you can graze on lazily, ideally while peeling a clementine and thumbing a paperback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
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
The thief almost seemed to be showing off, thumbing his nose at the authorities.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
