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in (Etching), to corrode or eat into metallic plates by means of an acid. -- To bite the thumb at (any one), formerly a mark of contempt, designed to provoke a quarrel; to defy. "Do you bite your thumb at us " Shak. -- To bite the tongue, to keep silence. Shak.

A small fresh-water fish (Uranidea Richardsoni); the miller's thumb.

esp. U. gobio of Europe, and U. Richardsoni of the United States; -- called also miller's thumb.

t palate against the back part of the tongue; rotacism; -- often called the Newcastle, Northumberland, or Tweedside, burr.

Two small, concave shells of ivory or hard wood, shaped like spoons, fastened to the thumb, and beaten together with the middle finger; -- used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dance and guitars.

A kind of spider monkey (Ateles chameck), having the thumbs rudimentary and without a nail.

cking noise, as by striking together, or against something. [Jove] clicked all his marble thumbs. Ben Jonson. When merry milkmaids click the latch. Tennyson.

A fish; -- also called miller's thumb.

The thumbpiece of the hammer of a gunlock, by which it may be cocked.

Trustful; without fear or suspicion; frank; unreserved. Be confident to speak, Northumberland; We three are but thyself. Shak.

A little fellow; -- in sport or contempt. "A dandiprat hop-thumb." Stanyhurst.

refer; -- with to. Hereupon the commissioners . . . deferred the matter to the Earl of Northumberland. Bacon.

A fig; an insignificant trifle, no more than the snap of one's thumb; a sign of contempt made by the fingers, expressing. A fig for you. Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase. Shak.

To strike with the nail of the finger, first placed against the ball of the thumb, and forced from that position with a sudden spring; to snap with the finger. "You filip me o' the head." Shak.

mbers of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extermities of the hand, other than the thumb.

. Ray. -- Fly net, a screen to exclude insects. -- Fly nut (Mach.), a nut with wings; a thumb nut; a finger nut. -- Fly orchis (Bot.), a plant (Ophrys muscifera), whose flowers resemble flies. -- Fly paper, poisoned or sticky paper for killing flies that feed upon or are entangled by it. -- Fly powder, an arsenica…

The finger next to the thumb; the index.

To scoop out, as an eye, with the thumb nail; to force out the eye of (a person) with the thumb. [K S.]

Line of life (Palmistry), a line on the inside of the hand, curving about the base of the thumb, supposed to indicate, by its form or position, the length of a person's life. -- Line of lines. See Gunter's line. -- Line of march. (Mil.) (a) Arrangement of troops for marching. (b) Course or direction taken by an army…

The hen harrier. [Prov. Eng.] Miller's thumb. (Zoöl.) (a) A small fresh-water fish of the genus Uranidea (formerly Cottus), as the European species (U. gobio), and the American (U. gracilis); -- called also bullhead. (b) A small bird, as the gold-crest, chiff- chaff, and long-tailed tit. [Prov. Eng.]…