The word "thumb" can be used as both a noun and a verb in English.
As a noun:
- Anatomy: The short, thick finger on the side of your hand that makes it possible to hold and pick things up easily.
- Example: "I accidentally hit my thumb with the hammer."
- Part of a glove or mitten: The part that covers the thumb.
- Example: "My mitten has a hole in the thumb."
As a verb:
- To turn over pages: To leaf through (pages) with the thumb.
- Example: "He thumbed through the book."
- To travel by thumbing rides: To hitchhike.
- Example: "She thumbed her way to New York."
- To request or obtain (a ride) in a passing automobile by signaling with the thumb.
- Example: "He thumbed a ride to school."
- To soil or wear by or as if by repeated thumbing.
- Example: "A badly thumbed book"
Some common phrases using "thumb":
- All thumbs: Extremely awkward or clumsy.
- Under one's thumb: Under control; in a state of subservience.
- Thumb one's nose: To express disdain or defiance.
- Thumbs up/down: Used to show that something has been accepted/rejected or that it is/is not a success.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
