Thumb
noun
The short and thick first finger on the side of your hand.
He held the pencil between his thumb and index finger.
Often appears as...
- thumb nail
- thumb print
verb
To press, move or touch with your thumb.
She thumbed through the pages of the book quickly.
Often appears as...
- thumb through
- thumb a ride
noun
Approval or disapproval expressed by a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture.
The project got the thumbs up from the boss.
Often appears as...
- give a thumbs up
- thumbs down
Usage tips
Approving
Colloquial, Idiomatic
verb
To seek a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of the road, by holding out one's thumb.
He was thumbing his way across the country.
Often appears as...
- thumb a lift
- thumb a ride
Usage tips
Informal
Colloquial
verb
To handle (someone) roughly.
The player was excessively thumbed during the match.
Often appears as...
- thumb someone down
- thumb an opponent
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
noun
The short and thick first finger on the side of your hand.
He held the pencil between his thumb and index finger.
Often appears as...
- thumb nail
- thumb print
verb
To press, move or touch with your thumb.
She thumbed through the pages of the book quickly.
Often appears as...
- thumb through
- thumb a ride
noun
Approval or disapproval expressed by a thumbs-up or thumbs-down gesture.
The project got the thumbs up from the boss.
Often appears as...
- give a thumbs up
- thumbs down
Usage tips
Approving
Colloquial, Idiomatic
verb
To seek a ride in a passing vehicle while standing at the side of the road, by holding out one's thumb.
He was thumbing his way across the country.
Often appears as...
- thumb a lift
- thumb a ride
Usage tips
Informal
Colloquial
verb
To handle (someone) roughly.
The player was excessively thumbed during the match.
Often appears as...
- thumb someone down
- thumb an opponent
Usage tips
Informal, Disapproving
Colloquial
Definition 1 of 5
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Finger
Refers specifically to the larger finger used for gripping objects.
He broke his thumb while playing basketball.
Pro Tip 2/2Not For Counting
In English, the thumb isn't typically referred to as a 'finger' for counting purposes.
She has ten fingers and two thumbs.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Finger
Refers specifically to the larger finger used for gripping objects.
He broke his thumb while playing basketball.
Pro Tip 2/2Not For Counting
In English, the thumb isn't typically referred to as a 'finger' for counting purposes.
She has ten fingers and two thumbs.
Pro Tip 1/2Physical Finger
Refers specifically to the larger finger used for gripping objects.
He broke his thumb while playing basketball.
Pro Tip 2/2Not For Counting
In English, the thumb isn't typically referred to as a 'finger' for counting purposes.
She has ten fingers and two thumbs.
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Video examples
Life lessons from a...
she said well alright I'll give you a little tip she said the first thing you want to do is it's just about dropping the thumb it's not like this because if you did that then your puppet would be going like this so it's all dropping so I'm gonna give you your first lesson in puppetry or your hands out we're gonna count no it's f you drop your thumb on
Video examples
Brain magic PIPE Keith Barry
OK, reverse your hands. Now, follow my actions exactly. Now about half the audience has their left hand up. Why is that? OK, swap them around, put your right hand up. Cross your hands over, so your right hand goes over, interlace your fingers like this, then make sure your right thumb is outside your left thumb -- that's very important.
Video examples
Soldier Adopts Dog That...
old at the time she went right up to Liam and submitted and laid down on her back and my one-year-old son walked over there and got on top of his chest and grabbed her ears and put his thumb in her nose and putting his hand in her mouth and she wasn't doing anything she was just laying there and taking every bit of it
Video examples
Insults by Shakespeare
And you normally would not do anything to someone unless you wanted to provoke them into a fight, which is exactly what's about to happen. Looking deeper, biting your thumb in the time in which the play was written is like giving someone the finger today. A pretty strong feeling comes with that,
Video examples
A Spoon You Can Eat Is a...
spoon I grabbed it from his hand I run my thumb on it it was greasy I took a smiie a sniff of it it was already smelling of somewhere it's been reused you know plastic has got so many chemical complexes in it phthalates chill aids bisphenol this cause cancer
Video examples
How not to be ignorant...
maybe I'm afraid of terrorists or sharks, anything that makes me feel, assume you're going to exaggerate the problem. That's a rule of thumb. Of course there are dangerous things that are also great. Sharks kill very, very few. That's how you should think.
Video examples
The surprising science...
in real life this is a trick that none of our ancestors could do that no other animal can do quite like we can it's a marvellous adaptation it's up there with opposable thumbs and standing upright and language as one of the things that
Video examples
The call to learn PIPE...
It probably has lies in it as well. Having said that, I outlined my talk about five minutes ago. And if you look at it over here, the main thing I wrote on my thumb was the future. I'm supposed to talk about the future, yes?
Video examples
6 tips for better sleep...
or you can have blackout shades and that will help best regulate that critical sleep hormone of melatonin. The next tip is walk it out. Don't stay in bed awake for long periods of time. And the general rule of thumb
Video examples
Cute Tiger Cubs Pose For...
- very cute tiny thumbs and there's something that the public will have the opportunity to do as well it will be a paid experience and all that money will
Video examples
Life lessons from a...
she said well alright I'll give you a little tip she said the first thing you want to do is it's just about dropping the thumb it's not like this because if you did that then your puppet would be going like this so it's all dropping so I'm gonna give you your first lesson in puppetry or your hands out we're gonna count no it's f you drop your thumb on
Video examples
Brain magic PIPE Keith Barry
OK, reverse your hands. Now, follow my actions exactly. Now about half the audience has their left hand up. Why is that? OK, swap them around, put your right hand up. Cross your hands over, so your right hand goes over, interlace your fingers like this, then make sure your right thumb is outside your left thumb -- that's very important.
Video examples
Soldier Adopts Dog That...
old at the time she went right up to Liam and submitted and laid down on her back and my one-year-old son walked over there and got on top of his chest and grabbed her ears and put his thumb in her nose and putting his hand in her mouth and she wasn't doing anything she was just laying there and taking every bit of it
Video examples
Insults by Shakespeare
And you normally would not do anything to someone unless you wanted to provoke them into a fight, which is exactly what's about to happen. Looking deeper, biting your thumb in the time in which the play was written is like giving someone the finger today. A pretty strong feeling comes with that,
Video examples
A Spoon You Can Eat Is a...
spoon I grabbed it from his hand I run my thumb on it it was greasy I took a smiie a sniff of it it was already smelling of somewhere it's been reused you know plastic has got so many chemical complexes in it phthalates chill aids bisphenol this cause cancer
Video examples
How not to be ignorant...
maybe I'm afraid of terrorists or sharks, anything that makes me feel, assume you're going to exaggerate the problem. That's a rule of thumb. Of course there are dangerous things that are also great. Sharks kill very, very few. That's how you should think.
Video examples
The surprising science...
in real life this is a trick that none of our ancestors could do that no other animal can do quite like we can it's a marvellous adaptation it's up there with opposable thumbs and standing upright and language as one of the things that
Video examples
The call to learn PIPE...
It probably has lies in it as well. Having said that, I outlined my talk about five minutes ago. And if you look at it over here, the main thing I wrote on my thumb was the future. I'm supposed to talk about the future, yes?
Video examples
6 tips for better sleep...
or you can have blackout shades and that will help best regulate that critical sleep hormone of melatonin. The next tip is walk it out. Don't stay in bed awake for long periods of time. And the general rule of thumb
Video examples
Cute Tiger Cubs Pose For...
- very cute tiny thumbs and there's something that the public will have the opportunity to do as well it will be a paid experience and all that money will
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Johnny Depp
American Actor
Things go wrong for me all the time with technology. I'm not familiar enough with it, and I'm too old-school a brain to be able to figure it out. I'm dumb. Anything that I have to attack with my thumbs, for any period of time, makes me feel stupid. So, I try to avoid it, as much as possible, to protect my thumbs.
Quote examples
Peter Riegert
American Actor
You have to have an ego to be an actor, but you need an ego just to get through life! Unless you want to sit on a corner and suck your thumb, it takes a healthy ego to get up in the morning and say, 'I deserve to be here.
Quote examples
Sherry Turkle
American Educator
Thumbs up or thumbs down on a website is not a conversation. The danger is you get into a habit of mind where politics means giving a thumbs up or thumbs down to a website. The world is a much more complex place.
Quote examples
Jim Cornette
American Author
There's probably as many rules of thumb to wrestling as anything in the world, and then there's just as many exceptions to every one of those rules because somebody doesn't fit that thumb.
Quote examples
Ethan Carter III
American Wrestler
I work for my personal satisfaction and then for my bosses as well, and as long as I get the thumbs up and get paid by somebody, I feel like I'm doing my job, and I'm cool with that.
Quote examples
Patricia Ireland
American Activist
And of course we are familiar with the English common law rule of thumb that said a man could in fact use a stick no bigger than his thumb to discipline his wife and family.
Quote examples
Max Holloway
American Athlete
I know I'm the greatest, and like I said, I ain't here to be average. I always wanted to stick out as a sore thumb, so that's what I'm doing. It's just confidence.
Quote examples
King Solomon
Royalty
Start with God - the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
Quote examples
Wayne LaPierre
American Activist
If you aren't free to protect yourself - when government puts its thumb on that freedom - then you aren't free at all.
Quote examples
Eazy-E
American Musician
People where we come from hear so many lies that the truth stands out like a sore thumb.
Quote examples
Johnny Depp
American Actor
Things go wrong for me all the time with technology. I'm not familiar enough with it, and I'm too old-school a brain to be able to figure it out. I'm dumb. Anything that I have to attack with my thumbs, for any period of time, makes me feel stupid. So, I try to avoid it, as much as possible, to protect my thumbs.
Quote examples
Peter Riegert
American Actor
You have to have an ego to be an actor, but you need an ego just to get through life! Unless you want to sit on a corner and suck your thumb, it takes a healthy ego to get up in the morning and say, 'I deserve to be here.
Quote examples
Sherry Turkle
American Educator
Thumbs up or thumbs down on a website is not a conversation. The danger is you get into a habit of mind where politics means giving a thumbs up or thumbs down to a website. The world is a much more complex place.
Quote examples
Jim Cornette
American Author
There's probably as many rules of thumb to wrestling as anything in the world, and then there's just as many exceptions to every one of those rules because somebody doesn't fit that thumb.
Quote examples
Ethan Carter III
American Wrestler
I work for my personal satisfaction and then for my bosses as well, and as long as I get the thumbs up and get paid by somebody, I feel like I'm doing my job, and I'm cool with that.
Quote examples
Patricia Ireland
American Activist
And of course we are familiar with the English common law rule of thumb that said a man could in fact use a stick no bigger than his thumb to discipline his wife and family.
Quote examples
Max Holloway
American Athlete
I know I'm the greatest, and like I said, I ain't here to be average. I always wanted to stick out as a sore thumb, so that's what I'm doing. It's just confidence.
Quote examples
King Solomon
Royalty
Start with God - the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
Quote examples
Wayne LaPierre
American Activist
If you aren't free to protect yourself - when government puts its thumb on that freedom - then you aren't free at all.
Quote examples
Eazy-E
American Musician
People where we come from hear so many lies that the truth stands out like a sore thumb.
Example 1 of 10
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