OXFORD DICTIONARY
, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a short thick terminal projection on the human hand, set lower and apart from the other four and opposable to them. b a digit of other animals corresponding to this.
2 part of a glove etc. for a thumb.
--v.
1 tr. wear or soil (pages etc.) with a thumb (a well-thumbed book).
2 intr. turn over pages with or as with a thumb (thumbed through the directory).
3 tr. request or obtain (a lift in a passing vehicle) by signalling with a raised thumb.
4 tr. use the thumb in a gesture.
be all thumbs be clumsy with one's hands. thumb index n. a set of lettered grooves cut down the side of a diary, dictionary, etc. for easy reference.
--v.tr. provide (a book etc.) with these. thumb one's nose = cock a snook (see SNOOK(1)). thumb-nut a nut shaped for turning with the thumb and forefinger. thumbs down an indication of rejection or failure. thumbs up an indication of satisfaction or approval. under a person's thumb completely dominated by a person.
thumbed adj. (also in comb.). thumbless adj.
OE thuma f. a WG root = swell
THESAURUS
OK, accept, all thumbs, annulary, approve of, awkward, be contemptuous of, catch a ride, clumsy, come in contact, contemn, dactylion, deride, digit, disapprove of, dismiss, feel, feel of, finger, flick, flip through, flout, forefinger, ham-fisted, handle, hitch, hitch a ride, hitch rides, hitchhike, index, index finger, jeer at, little finger, maladroit, manipulate, medius, middle finger, minimus, mock, okay, palm, palpate, paw, pinkie, ply, poke at, pollex, prod, rebuff, reject, ring finger, scoff at, scorn, tap,
thumb through, touch, turn down, twiddle, welcome, wield
ROGET THESAURUS
Touch
N
touch, tact, taction, tactility, feeling, palpation, palpability, contrectation, manipulation, massage, hand, finger, forefinger,
thumb, paw, feeler, antenna, palpus, tactual, tactile, tangible, palpable, lambent.
VB
touch, feel, handle, finger,
thumb, paw, fumble, grope, grabble, twiddle, tweedle, pass the fingers over, run the fingers over, manipulate, wield, throw out a feeler.