Definitions for rule of thumb
rule of thumb

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. guidepost, guideline, rule of thumbnoun

   a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rule of thumbnoun

   A general guideline, rather than a strict rule; an approximate measure or means of reckoning based on experience or common knowledge.

2. rule of thumbnoun

   Approximated, guesstimated.

3. Etymology: Michael Quinion lists the first documented use as 1692 while The Oxford English Dictionary puts the first documented use at 1685. Some suggested origins include the fact that the inch originated as the distance between the base of the thumbnail and the first joint, the practice of approximating the general direction of the wind by wetting the thumb then raising it in the air, and the rule of English Royal banquet plate setters using the distance of the thumb to equally space each plate from the table edge. Apocryphally, it has been claimed the term originally referred to the maximum thickness of a stick with which it was permissible for a man to beat his wife, but the earliest use in direct reference to domestic violence may be Del Martin’s 1976 book Battered Wives.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rule of thumb

   A rule of thumb is a broadly applicable guideline or principle, usually based on experience or common sense, that provides a general approach or method for handling certain situations or problems. It is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable in every situation, but rather acts as a practical and useful guide.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Rule of thumb

   A rule of thumb is a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation. It is an easily learned and easily applied procedure for approximately calculating or recalling some value, or for making some determination. Compare this to heuristic, a similar concept used in mathematical discourse, psychology, and computer science, particularly in algorithm design.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. rule of thumb

   That rule suggested by a practical rather than a scientific knowledge. In common matters it means to estimate by guess, not by weight or measure.

Matched Categories

1. • Rule

How to pronounce rule of thumb?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

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   Daniel

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How to say rule of thumb in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of rule of thumb in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of rule of thumb in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of rule of thumb in a Sentence

1. Russell Foster:

   What it probably will do is increase levels of alertness and therefore delay sleep onset ... it's a good rule of thumb to reduce light exposure.

2. Tal Inbar:

   In general, any system can be defeated this way or that. Some are harder and some are easier, the rule of thumb is that if your friends have a system that you are interested in, you can learn all kinds of things about it.

3. Sean McQuay:

   A good rule of thumb is to wait six months to a year between card applications.

4. Kyle Kondik:

   The general rule of thumb in these primaries is the challengers almost always fail.

5. Ben Lieberman:

   If advanced appliances make sense for consumers, they would sell themselves without mandates, i think that's a good rule of thumb with very, very few exceptions. Consumers are smart shoppers. These mandates force one-size-fits-all solutions on everybody. No two homes are exactly alike, no two homeowners are exactly alike.

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=rule of thumb
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rule_of_Thumb
3. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
4. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=rule of thumb
5. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=rule of thumb