noun
thou
One thousandth of an inch.
The mechanic measures a gap of five thou.
Etymology
Thou is a shortening of thousandth. Engineering uses it for one thousandth of an inch.
More examples
- The drawing specifies a tolerance of one thou.
- She removed two thou from the surface.
- The instrument reads thickness in thou.
Forms
thou
Similar words
- mil
- A common American term for a thousandth of an inch.