thumb
THUHM
Thumb (noun) means the short, thick digit of the hand, set apart from the other four fingers. Example: “Babies often suck their thumb to help them feel calm and sleepy.”
noun
1
The short, thick digit of the hand, set apart from the other four fingers.
"Babies often suck their thumb to help them feel calm and sleepy."
"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.
"I thumbed through the old photo album and found a picture of my gran."
"Students thumbed quickly through the textbook, looking for the right chapter."
"She thumbed through the magazine while waiting."
2
To hitchhike by signaling with the thumb.
"They thumbed lifts across the country because they had very little money."
"After the car broke down, she stood by the road and thumbed a lift."
"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
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like thumb.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- thumbs
- Third person singular
- thumbs
- Past tense
- thumbed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Babies often suck their _____ to help them feel calm and sleepy.
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).
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for thumb
See all rhymes for thumb →Frequently asked questions
What does “thumb” mean?
The word “thumb” means the short, thick digit of the hand, set apart from the other four fingers. In plain terms, the short, stout finger opposite the other four, or to flip through pages / hitchhike.
How do you pronounce “thumb”?
“Thumb” is pronounced THUHM (/ˈθʌm/ in IPA).
How do you use “thumb” in a sentence?
Here is “thumb” used in a sentence: “He hurt his thumb while opening a jar.”
What is another word for “thumb”?
Words with a similar meaning to “thumb” include pollex, digit I, first digit and thumby.
What part of speech is “thumb”?
Depending on how it is used, “thumb” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “thumb” come from?
The word “thumb” comes from Old English. 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).
Is “thumb” a common word?
“Thumb” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “thumb” have?
“Thumb” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the short, thick digit of the hand, set apart from the other four fingers.
Is the thumb a finger?
Strictly speaking, no: the hand has four fingers plus the thumb, the short, thick digit set apart from the rest. In everyday speech, though, people commonly count the thumb as one of five fingers, and both usages are understood. Anatomists avoid the ambiguity by calling the thumb the pollex.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include thumb:
