Definition of "thumb"

thumb

/θʌm/

noun
plural thumbs
1. 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.
2. (graphical user interface) The part of a slider that may be moved linearly along the slider.
3. (colloquial, Internet) A thumbnail picture.
  Quotations
  2001, Gary, “Wanna See Porn? Take a Look At These (Free Expandable Thumbs) - CLICK HERE”, in alt.sex.services (Usenet)
verb
third-person singular simple present thumbs, present participle thumbing, simple past and past participle thumbed
1. (transitive) To touch or cover with the thumb.
  Quotations
  News agencies reported Lavrov had been sent to hospital for a checkup, only for the Russian foreign ministry to rush out a picture of Lavrov in shorts, sporting an Apple watch and Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired T-shirt, thumbing his notes for his first address at the summit on Tuesday.
  2022 November 15, Patrick Wintour, “Sergei Lavrov, a fixture of Russian diplomacy facing his toughest test in Ukraine”, in The Guardian‎
2. (transitive, with through) To turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily.
  Quotations
  It is also disconcerting when you suddenly realise that the driver isn't steering, but may be thumbing over his Customs papers with his feet up.
  1948 March and April, “Notes and News: Lines in County Donegal”, in Railway Magazine, page 129
3. (travel) To hitchhike
  Quotations
  Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained.
  1969, Kris Kristofferson, Fred Foster, Me and Bobby McGee
  Thumbed a diesel down, outside a cafe.
  1980, Kye Fleming, Dennis Morgan, Smoky Mountain Rain
4. To soil or wear with the thumb or the fingers; to soil, or wear out, by frequent handling.
  Quotations
  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.
  1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter 13, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volumes (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans
5. To manipulate (an object) with the thumb; especially, to pull back the hammer or open the cylinder of a revolver.
  Quotations
  Fargo palmed out his own revolver, thumbing back the hammer as the barrel came up.
  2009, Jon Sharp, The Trailsman #337: Silver Showdown
  Rainford reached down and found the revolver. Thumbing the cylinder open, he inspected the load.
  2015, Tony Monchinski, Bad Men (I Kill Monsters Book 3)
  Andy opened the revolver, thumbed in a cartridge.
  2015, Don Fitzsimmons, If You Need a Laugh
6. To fire (a single action revolver) quickly by pulling the hammer while keeping the trigger depressed.
  Quotations
  To thumb a single-action revolver, hold down the trigger and use the thumb on the same hand to fire the gun by manipulating the hammer.
  2011, Hans-Christian Vortisch, GURPS Tactical Shooting, page 14

Definition of "thumb"

thumb

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verb

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