thumb

noun \ ˈthəm \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Definition of thumb

1 : the short thick digit of the human hand that is analogous in position to the big toe and differs from the other fingers in having only two phalanges, allowing greater freedom of movement, and being opposable to each of them; also : a corresponding digit in lower animals

2 : the part of a glove or mitten that covers the thumb

3 : a convex molding : ovolo

— all thumbs

: extremely awkward or clumsy

— under one's thumb or under the thumb

: under control : in a state of subservience

her father did not have her that much under his thumb
—Hamilton Basso

See thumb defined for English-language learners

See thumb defined for kids

Examples of thumb in a Sentence

a little girl sucking her thumb
I accidentally cut my thumb.
My mitten has a hole in the thumb.

Recent Examples of thumb from the Web

Pete got Ariana's iconic Dangerous Woman bunny mask inked behind his ear and her initials tattooed on his thumb.

— kayleigh roberts, Marie Claire, "Ariana Grande Just Wore a Sweatshirt with Pete Davidson's Face on It," 30 June 2018
Whitley broke his left thumb the day he was supposed to start his senior year.

— carter karels, San Antonio Express-News, "Whitley on a big-time tear," 22 June 2018
At the least, PTM provides a model of domestic dissent for other countries living under the thumb of a military.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "A nonviolent movement challenges Pakistan’s military," 22 June 2018
This creates a rectangular sheet with the thumb sticking out in the middle, right where your tongue will be.

— zahra barnes, SELF, "Is It OK to Use a Condom as a Dental Dam?," 21 June 2018
Carlson, who caught with a cast on his fractured thumb, was on his knees as well behind the plate trying to process what had just been snatched away from them.

— kirk kenney, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mississippi State coach Gary Henderson was thinking of his 1984 Aztecs when Bulldogs clinched College World Series berth," 16 June 2018
Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almonds, Quinoa and Honey The combo of steel cut oats and quinoa gets the thumbs up in my book.

— samantha cassetty, NBC News, "The healthiest things to eat at Panera Bread," 14 June 2018
Davidson also got two tattoos inspired by Grande, including a pair of bunny ears and her initials on his thumb.

— Vogue, "Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson Are Reportedly Engaged," 11 June 2018
Johnson had surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb on April 30.

— jordan mcpherson, miamiherald, "This Heat player doesn't believe extra pressure will come with his 'nicer paycheck' | Miami Herald," 16 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thumb.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of thumb

Middle English thoume, thoumbe, from Old English thūma; akin to Old High German thūmo thumb, Latin tumēre to swell

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

thumb

verb

Definition of thumb

thumbed; thumbing; thumbs

intransitive verb

1 : to turn over pages

thumb through a book

2 : to travel by thumbing rides : hitchhike

thumbed across the country

transitive verb

1 : to request or obtain (a ride) in a passing automobile by signaling with the thumb

2 a : to leaf through (pages) with the thumb : turn

b : to soil or wear by or as if by repeated thumbing

a badly thumbed book

— thumb one's nose

1 : to express disdain or defiance

thumb their nose at opulence
—Sales Management

2 : to place the thumb at one's nose and extend the fingers as a gesture of scorn or defiance

See thumb defined for English-language learners

Examples of thumb in a Sentence

I thumbed a ride to school.
He thumbed his way to New York.
He thumbed across the country.

Recent Examples of thumb from the Web

The spree began in February 1972, when Yvonne Weber and Maureen Sterling, both 13, were thumbing rides on Guerneville Road.

— katie dowd, San Francisco Chronicle, "10 Bay Area cold cases that remain unsolved," 29 Apr. 2018
The Justice Department is thumbing its nose at Congress.

— Fox News, "Gowdy to Schiff: GOP doesn't give a damn what you think," 6 July 2018
His daughter-in-law Roni Detrick, 61, now runs his you-pick operation, where customers can rest in the shade of an ancient oak after a few hours of thumbing clusters of old-fashioned sweet Walcotts into a pail.

— rachel wharton, New York Times, "In the Shadow of the Blueberry Titans, Smaller Growers Thrive," 2 July 2018
Miami Beach gave an initial thumbs up to the newest proposal for a convention center headquarter hotel, the city's third attempt in recent years to select a design capable of winning voter approval.

— kyra gurney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "New Miami Beach convention center hotel plan gets initial green light," 2 July 2018
In Seoul, Robins thumbed through photographs taken in Korea in the 1950s.

— joseph hincks / seoul, Time, "U.S. Veterans Remember the Dead as Coffins Await Korean War Remains," 28 June 2018
Some gun rights advocates have suggested that’s because lower courts have been thumbing their nose at Scalia’s opinion in an act of massive resistance akin to the South’s refusal to desegregate after Brown v. Board of Education.

— joseph blocher and eric ruben, Vox, "The Second Amendment allows for more gun control than you think," 14 June 2018
Also, Jim Abernethy of Scuba Adventures in Palm Beach County said people who fish from shore for sharks often thumb their noses at existing state rules about sharks.

— jim turner, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Shore shark fishing could face new state rules," 26 Apr. 2018
Watching at home, noted LeBron James anti-fan Skip Bayless of Fox Sports thumbed his nose at James' shot.

— langston wertz jr., charlotteobserver, "The eerie similarty of LeBron's shot for Cleveland Wednesday vs. Jordan's shot against Cleveland in 1989 | Charlotte Observer," 26 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of thumb

circa 1647

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

See Words from the same year

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thumb Synonyms

THUMB Defined for English Language Learners

thumb

noun

Definition of thumb for English Language Learners

: the short, thick finger on the side of your hand
: the part of a glove or mitten that covers a thumb

thumb

verb

Definition of thumb for English Language Learners

: to ask for or get a ride in a passing vehicle by sticking out your arm with your thumb up as you stand on the side of the road

THUMB Defined for Kids

thumb

noun \ ˈthəm \

Definition of thumb for Students

1 : the short thick finger next to the forefinger

2 : the part of a glove covering the thumb

thumb

verb

Definition of thumb for Students

thumbed; thumbing

1 : to turn the pages of quickly with the thumb

2 : to seek or get (a ride) in a passing automobile by signaling with the thumb

Medical Dictionary

thumb

noun \ ˈthəm \

medical Definition of thumb

: the short and thick first or most preaxial digit of the human hand that differs from the other fingers in having only two phalanges, in having greater freedom of movement, and in being opposable to the other fingers