noun
thumb
THUHM
noun
1
The short, thick digit of the hand, set apart from the other four fingers.
"He hurt his thumb while opening a jar."
"She gave a thumbs-up to signal approval."
verb
1
To flip through the pages of something quickly.
"She thumbed through the magazine while waiting."
2
To hitchhike by signaling with the thumb.
"He thumbed a ride to the next town."
How to Use Thumb
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe short, stout finger opposite the other four, or to flip through pages / hitchhike.
Common pairings
thumb through
thumbs up
under someone's thumb
Word Forms
thumbed past tense, thumbs plural, thumbs singular
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Etymology
From Old English þūma, from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to grow" or "to swell" — the same root that gives us "tomb" (a swollen mound).