World Book 1997 4.0

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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>THUMB</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="thumb"> thumb, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. the short, thick finger of the human hand, next to the forefinger. The thumb can be used in opposition to the other fingers. <DD> 2. the corresponding digit or part of the paw of an animal; pollex. <DD> 3. the part of a glove or mitten that covers the thumb. Ex. There was a hole in the thumb of his mitten. <DD> 4. (Architecture.) a convex molding; ovolo. <DD>v.t. 1. to soil or wear by handling with the thumbs. Ex. Some of the books were badly thumbed. <DD> 2. to turn pages of (a book or other sheets of paper) rapidly with a thumb, reading only portions. (SYN) skim. <DD> 3. to handle awkwardly or clumsily. (SYN) fumble. <DD> 4. (Informal.) to ask for or get (a free ride) by holding up one's thumb to motorists going in one's direction; hitchhike. Ex. Some commuters abandoned the trains and thumbed rides (New York Times). <DD>v.i. 1. to turn pages rapidly with a thumb. Ex. During the long patrol, crewmen ... thumb through books and magazines (Time). <DD> 2. (Informal.) to travel by walking and getting free rides from motorists. Ex. I went out on the road to start thumbing (Saul Bellow). expr. all thumbs, very clumsy or awkward. Ex. The team lost the game because two of the players were all thumbs and kept dropping the ball. expr. stick out like a sore thumb, to appear unpleasantly conspicuous. Ex. Wearing a sports coat at the formal dance, he stuck out like a sore thumb. expr. thumb down, (Informal.) to reject. Ex. Its power to thumb down first-rate political talent is often deplored (Alistair Cooke). expr. thumbs down, a sign of disapproval or rejection. Ex. There are expressions of surprise when many workers, as in the aerospace industry, turn thumbs down on a prime form of union security, the union shop (Wall Street Journal). expr. thumbs up, a sign of approval or acceptance. Ex. As the trial progressed, he would leave court each day to the smiles and thumbs up signs of the crowd (New York Times). expr. twiddle one's thumbs, <DD> a. to keep turning one's thumbs idly about each other. Ex. The bishop was sitting in his easy chair, twiddling his thumbs (Anthony Trollope). <DD> b. to do nothing; have nothing to do; be idle. Ex. You'd have all the world do nothing half its time but twiddle its thumbs (D. Jerrold). expr. under the thumb of (or one's thumb), under the power or influence of. Ex. The bully tried to keep us all under his thumb but we outwitted him. Her son-in-law was under the thumb of his womenfolk (Rudyard Kipling). adj. thumblike. </DL> <A NAME="thumbindex"> thumb index,<DL COMPACT><DD> a series of grooves cut along the front edges of the pages of a book to show initial letters or titles, so that any division may be turned to by placing the thumb or finger on the proper initial or title. </DL> <A NAME="thumbindex"> thumb-index, transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to furnish (a book) with a thumb index. </DL> <A NAME="thumbkins"> thumbkins, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Scottish.) a thumbscrew, an instrument of torture. </DL> <A NAME="thumbknot"> thumb knot, =overhand knot.</DL> <A NAME="thumbnail"> thumbnail, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. the nail of the thumb. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) something very small or short. <DD>adj. (Figurative.) very small or short. Ex. a thumbnail sketch. </DL> <A NAME="thumbpiano"> thumb piano,<DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various small African musical instruments played with the thumbs, such as the kalimba and mbira. </DL> <A NAME="thumbpiece"> thumbpiece, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a part of a handle made to receive the thumb. <DD> 2. a lever, button, or other part of a mechanism operated by pressure of the thumb. </DL> <A NAME="thumbprint"> thumbprint, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. an impression of the markings on the inner surface of the last joint of the thumb. Ex. In the second century before Christ, the clever Chinese were already using thumbprints as a means of identification (New Yorker). <DD> 2. (Figurative.) an impression; stamp. Ex. He is tall, athletic and handsome, but his soul bears the thumbprint of his ruthless wife (Time). </DL> <A NAME="thumbring"> thumbring, noun, or thumb ring,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a ring, especially one with a seal, to be worn on the thumb. <DD> 2. a ring for the thumb on the guard of a dagger or sword. </DL> <A NAME="thumbscrew"> thumbscrew, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a screw with a flattened or winged head so that it can be turned with the thumb and a finger. <DD> 2. an old instrument of torture that squeezed the thumbs. </DL> <A NAME="thumbstall"> thumbstall, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a kind of thimble worn over the thumb, especially by shoemakers, for pushing a needle. <DD> 2. a protective sheath, as of leather, worn over an injured thumb. </DL> <A NAME="thumbsucking"> thumb-sucking, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the habit of sucking one's thumb. </DL> <A NAME="thumbtack"> thumbtack, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun a tack with a broad, flat head, that can be pressed into a wall or board with the thumb. <DD>v.t. to fasten with a thumbtack. Ex. Thumbtacked to another wall [was] a postcard mailed from Vienna (New Yorker). </DL> <A NAME="thummim"> Thummim, noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> (in the Old Testament) certain objects worn in or upon the breastplate of the Jewish high priest. See Urim. </DL> <A NAME="thump"> thump, verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>v.t. 1. to strike with something thick and heavy; pound. Ex. He thumped the table with his fist. <DD> 2. to strike against (something) heavily and noisily. Ex. The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. <DD> 3. (Informal.) to beat or thrash severely. <DD>v.i. 1. to make a dull sound; pound heavily. Ex. a fist thumping against the door. The hammer thumped against the wood. He thumped on the piano. <DD> 2. to beat violently; throb heavily. Ex. His heart thumped as he walked past the cemetery at night. <DD> 3. to move heavily and noisily; bump or jolt along. Ex. to thump across a room. The car thumped along on a flat tire. <DD>noun 1. a blow with something thick and heavy; heavy knock. Ex. He hit the thief a thump on the head. (SYN) whack, bang. <DD> 2. the dull sound made by a blow, knock, or fall. Ex. We heard the thump as he fell. </DL> <A NAME="thumper"> thumper, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a person that thumps. <DD> 2. a device for producing a shallow seismic wave to test structural properties of the lunar surface. </DL> <A NAME="thumping"> thumping, adjective, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Informal.) <DD>adj. very large; great; excellent. <DD>adv. very. Ex. a thumping good time. </DL> <A NAME="thunder"> thunder, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. the loud noise that often follows a flash of lightning. It is caused by a disturbance of the air resulting from the discharge of electricity. <DD> 2. any noise like thunder; very loud or resounding noise. Ex. the thunder of Niagara Falls. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) a threat or denunciation. <DD> 4. =thunderbolt. <DD>v.i. 1. to give forth thunder. Ex. It thundered a few times, but no rain fell. <DD> 2a. to make a noise like thunder; roar. Ex. The cannon thundered throughout the night. <DD> b. to rush or fall with great noise and commotion. Ex. The waterfall thundered over the rocks. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) to utter threats or denunciations. Ex. From his pulpit he thundered against the ungodly. <DD>v.t. 1. to utter very loudly; roar. Ex. to thunder a reply. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) to threaten or denounce. expr. steal one's (or the) thunder, <DD> a. to take an effective or successful idea, method, or plan, originated by another person, and use as one's own so as to reduce or annul the effect of his words or actions. Ex. "I'll be damned if he isn't stealing ... my thunder," thought Mason to himself at this point. "He's forestalling most of the things I intended to riddle him with" (Theodore Dreiser). <DD> b. to gain the success, applause, or other recognition that was meant for or belonged to another. Ex. Although the result ... of England's final trial at Twickenham suggested [a draw], the junior team stole most of the thunder (London Times). </DL> <A NAME="thunderation"> thunderation, noun, interjection.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Dialect or Informal.) <DD>noun the deuce; the devil. Ex. Everybody wants to know who in thunderation Rache will marry (Century Magazine). <DD>interj. an exclamation of surprise or annoyance. Ex. "Thunderation!" he muttered indignantly (Time). </DL> <A NAME="thunderbird"> thunderbird, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a huge bird in the folklore of certain North American Indians, that produces thunder by flapping its wings and lightning by opening and closing its eyes. </DL> <A NAME="thunderbolt"> thunderbolt, noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a flash of lightning and the thunder that follows it. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) something sudden, startling, and terrible. Ex. The news of his death came as a thunderbolt. <DD> 3. (Figurative.) a person with great energy and drive. <DD> 4. a bolt or dart formerly believed to destroy when lightning strikes anything. <DD> 5. a fossil or stone formerly thought to have fallen from heaven with the lightning. <DD>v.t. to strike with a thunderbolt. Ex. (Figurative.) It will not be long before he is thunderbolted to the quick by the physical similarities between East Anglia and China (Punch). (SYN) startle, terrify. </DL> <A NAME="thunderburst"> thunderburst, noun. =thunderclap.</DL> <A NAME="thunderclap"> thunderclap, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a loud crash of thunder. <DD> 2. (Figurative.) something sudden or startling. </DL> <A HREF="thundere.dic">NEXT</A>