noun / verb
thumb
THUM/θʌm/
The short opposing digit of the hand.
The thumb extends away from the hand's four relaxed fingers.
Etymology
Old English þuma already named the thumb. Its deeper ancestry describes it as the stout or thick finger, highlighting the feature that distinguishes it from the hand’s other digits.
In context
I hold the yarn in my three fingers and my last three fingers on my left hand but I tension it with my thumb instead of my index finger
More examples
- Hold the coin between your thumb and index finger.
- I thumb through the cookbook to find a soup recipe.
- They stand beside the road and thumb a ride.
Forms
thumb · thumbs · thumbed · thumbing
thumbnail noun — The nail at the thumb's tip.
Similar words
- digit
- Refers to any finger or toe, not just the thumb.