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thumb

noun · verb

Simple meaning

The shortest and thickest digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose all of the other fingers.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

thuhm
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈθʌm

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  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. 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.

  3. informal

    The eastern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, United States (the "Mitten").

verb

  1. To manipulate (an object) with the thumb; especially, to pull back the hammer or open the cylinder of a revolver.

  2. transitivewith through

    To turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily.

  3. To soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling.

  4. To fire (a single action revolver) quickly by pulling the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed.

  5. transitive

    To touch or cover with the thumb.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

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More ways to use thumb

  • “He gave a quick thumb's up to signal approval.”

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Common Patterns and Combinations

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green thumbthumb suckingright thumbleft thumbsore thumb

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Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • thumb indexnounCompound term

    One of a series of rounded notches in the fore edge of a book to indicate sections.

  • tom thumbnounCompound term

    An imaginary hero of English folklore who was no taller than his father's thumb.

  • green thumbnounCompound term

    A special ability to make plants grow.

  • turn thumbs downverbCompound term

    Vote against.

  • miller's-thumbnounCompound term

    Small freshwater sculpin of Europe and North America.

  • rule of thumbnounCompound term

    A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

  • thumbnailnounRelated term

    The nail of the thumb.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.