thumb

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Human

thumb1 /θʌm/ ●●● S3 noun [countable]  1  HBHthe part of your hand that is shaped like a thick short finger and helps you to hold things 〔手的〕拇指 a baby sucking its thumb 吮着大拇指的婴儿 She held the coin carefully between finger and thumb. 她小心翼翼地把那枚硬币捏在食指和拇指之间。 →4  See picture of 见图 HAND 1 →5 see picture at 见图 hand12. DCCthe part of a glove that fits over your thumb 〔手套的〕拇指部分3  be all fingers and thumbs British English, be all thumbs American English informalCLUMSY to be unable to do something in which you have to make small careful movements with your fingers 笨手笨脚 Would you do up these buttons for me? I seem to be all thumbs today. 帮我扣上这些纽扣好吗？今天我感觉自己笨手笨脚的。4  the thumbs up/down informalACCEPTREJECT/NOT ACCEPT when an idea or plan is officially accepted or not accepted 正式接受/拒绝〔观点或计划〕 The project was finally given the thumbs up. 项目终于获得批准。 Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics. 她的表演受到了评论家的批评。5  be under somebody’s thumb OBEYto be so strongly influenced by someone that they control you completely 完全在某人的控制之下；在某人的巨大影响下 He was still under his father’s thumb. 他仍受制于他的父亲。 → rule of thumb at rule1(8), → stand/stick out like a sore thumb at sore1(6)

Examples from the Corpus

thumb• But it was plainly calculated as a thumb in the eye of the United States.• Then he looked at Bill Wall, extending his hand with finger and thumb crooked.• The third had a grotesquely enlarged thumb.• She put the mustache back and pressed it with her thumb.• I sat there and twiddled my thumbs.• As a rule of thumb, funds with durations of one to three years are relatively conservative.• When constructing a footpath we follow rules of thumb.thumb2 verb  1  thumb a lift British English, thumb a ride American English informalTTC to persuade a driver of a passing car to stop and take you somewhere, by putting your hand out with your thumb raised 伸出拇指请求搭车，伸出拇指拦车 I thumbed a lift into town. 我拦顺路车进了城。2  thumb your nose at somebody/something REJECT/NOT ACCEPTto show that you do not respect rules, laws etc or you do not care what someone thinks of you 蔑视〔规则、法律等〕；不在乎〔别人对自己的看法〕 a chance to thumb his nose at the college authorities 挑战学院领导的机会3 thumb through something phrasal verb READto look through a book, magazine etc quickly 匆匆翻阅，浏览〔图书、杂志等〕 I began thumbing through the pages of a gardening catalogue. 我随便翻起一本园艺目录册。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

thumb• Two or three cars passed me and I tried to thumb a lift, but they didn't stop.• Faubus had again thumbed his nose at the judiciary by refusing to appear.• Voters here have always been drawn to against-the-grain outsiders who make a career of thumbing their noses at party traditionalists.• She thumbed them into the magazine before placing it carefully back in the box with the weapon.• Once again Azadi thumbed through the intelligence report for some inspiration.• As a joke I actually bought it for Richard to thumb through.Origin thumb1 Old English thuma

thumb1 nounthumb2 verbChinese  

part of Corpus the your hand that is

thumb

I

thumb¹ /θʌm/ noun [countable]
1. the part of your hand that is shaped like a thick short finger and helps you to hold things:
    a baby sucking its thumb
    She held the coin carefully between finger and thumb.
2. the part of a glove that fits over your thumb
3. be all fingers and thumbs British English, be all thumbs American English informal to be unable to do something in which you have to make small careful movements with your fingers:
    Would you do up these buttons for me? I seem to be all thumbs today.
4. the thumbs up/down informal when an idea or plan is officially accepted or not accepted:
    The project was finally given the thumbs up.
    Her performance got the thumbs down from the critics.
5. be under sb’s thumb to be so strongly influenced by someone that they control you completely:
    He was still under his father’s thumb.
⇨ rule of thumb at rule¹(8), ⇨ stand/stick out like a sore thumb at sore¹(6)

II

thumb² verb
1. thumb a lift British English, thumb a ride American English informal to persuade a driver of a passing car to stop and take you somewhere, by putting your hand out with your thumb raised:
    I thumbed a lift into town.
2. thumb your nose at somebody/something to show that you do not respect rules, laws etc or you do not care what someone thinks of you:
    a chance to thumb his nose at the college authorities
     
thumb through something phrasal verb
  to look through a book, magazine etc quickly:
    I began thumbing through the pages of a gardening catalogue.