v. i. To play with the thumb or thumbs; to play clumsily; to thrum. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OE. thombe, thoumbe, þume, AS. þūma; akin to OFries. thūma, D. duim, G. daumen, OHG. dūmo, Icel. þumall, Dan. tommelfinger, Sw. tumme, and perhaps to L. tumere to swell. √56. Cf. Thimble, Tumid. ] The short, thick first digit of the human hand, differing from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex. [ 1913 Webster ]
Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]
Thumb band,
Thumb blue,
Thumb latch,
Thumb mark.
Thumb nut,
Thumb ring,
Thumb stall.
Under one's thumb,
v. t.
He gravely informed the enemy that all his cards had been thumbed to pieces, and begged them to let him have a few more packs. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The goldcrest. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
a.
n. An instrument of torture for compressing the thumb; a thumbscrew. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Without a thumb. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.