thumb

noun
UK: /θʌm/
US: /θʌm/

  1. The short, thick finger on the side of your hand.

    1. My thumb hurts after playing video games so long. [ ] [ ]
    2. He accidentally hit his thumb with the hammer while building the fence. [ ] [ ]

  2. The part of a glove or mitten that covers the thumb.

    1. This glove is too small; my thumb doesn't fit in it. [ ] [ ]
    2. She knitted a new pair of mittens, making sure the thumb was reinforced. [ ] [ ]
thumb verb

  1. To look through a book or magazine quickly.

    1. I will thumb through this magazine. [ ] [ ]
    2. She thumbed through the report, looking for key figures and findings. [ ] [ ]

  2. To hitchhike, typically by signaling with the thumb.

    1. He decided to thumb a ride to the next town. [ ] [ ]
    2. Backpackers often thumb rides when traveling to remote destinations. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "thumb" in English means: The short, thick finger on the side of your hand., The part of a glove or mitten that covers the thumb..

The phonetic transcription of "thumb" is /θʌm/ in British English and /θʌm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Example usage of "thumb": "My thumb hurts after playing video games so long.". More examples on the page.