Definitions for Thumbθʌm

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

thumbθʌm(n.)

the short, thick, inner digit of the human hand, next to the forefinger.
Category: Anatomy
the corresponding digit in other animals; pollex.
Category: Zoology
the part of a glove or mitten for containing this digit.
(v.t.)to soil or wear with the thumbs in handling, as the pages of a book.
to glance through (pages) (usu. fol. by through):
to thumb through a brochure.
(of a hitchhiker) to solicit or get (a ride) by pointing the thumb in the desired direction of travel.

Idioms for thumb:

be all thumbs,to be clumsy.
Category: Idiom
thumb one's nose, to raise the hand with fingers extended and touch the thumb to the nose as a gesture of scorn, defiance, etc. to manifest defiance or contempt (usu. fol. by at):
to thumb one's nose at convention.
Category: Idiom

Origin of thumb:

bef. 900; ME; OE thūma, c. OFris, OS thūma, OHG dūmo; akin to ON thumalfingr (cf. thimble )

Princeton's WordNet

thumb, pollex(noun)
the thick short innermost digit of the forelimb
thumb(noun)
the part of a glove that provides a covering for the thumb
ovolo, thumb, quarter round(verb)
a convex molding having a cross section in the form of a quarter of a circle or of an ellipse
hitchhike, hitch, thumb(verb)
travel by getting free rides from motorists
flick, flip, thumb, riffle, leaf, riff(verb)
look through a book or other written material
"He thumbed through the report"; "She leafed through the volume"
finger, thumb(verb)
feel or handle with the fingers
"finger the binding of the book"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

thumb(noun)θʌm
the short, wide finger that helps you hold things
a toddler sucking his thumb
thumbθʌm
an indication that sth is good/bad, especially by pointing your thumb up/down
Critics gave the movie a thumbs down.; She gave the thumbs up to say everything was ready.

Wiktionary

thumb(Noun)
The short thick digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers.
thumb(Noun)
The part of a slider that may be moved linearly along the slider.
thumb(Noun)
A thumbnail picture.
thumb(Verb)
To touch with the thumb.
thumb(Verb)
To turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily.
I thumbed through the book and decided not to bother reading it all.
thumb(Verb)
To hitchhike
So I started thumbin' back east, toward my hometown.

Origin: Middle English thoume, thoumbe, from þuma, from þūmô (cf. West Frisian tomme, Dutch duim, German Daumen), from tūm- (cf. Albanian thumb,thimth, thembër, Romanian tumburush, Welsh tyfu, Latin tumere, Lithuanian tumėti, Ancient Greek 'burial mound', Avestan 'strong', Sanskrit 'strong, thick').

Webster Dictionary

Thumb(noun)
the short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex
Thumb(verb)
to handle awkwardly
Thumb(verb)
to play with the thumbs, or with the thumbs and fingers; as, to thumb over a tune
Thumb(verb)
to soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling; also, to cover with the thumb; as, to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon
Thumb(verb)
to play with the thumb or thumbs; to play clumsily; to thrum

The New Hacker's Dictionary

thumb
The slider on a window-system scrollbar. So called because moving it allows you to browse through the contents of a text window in a way analogous to thumbing through a book.