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ring from the other fingers in having but two phalanges; the pollex. See Pollex. Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. Chaucer. Thumb band, a twist of anything as thick as the thumb. Mortimer. -- Thumb blue, indigo in the form of small balls or lumps, used by washerwomen to blue linen, and the like. -- Thumb latch, a…

The goldcrest. [Prov. Eng.]

Having thumbs.

An instrument of torture for compressing the thumb; a thumbscrew.

Without a thumb. Darwin.

A screw having a flat-sided or knurled head, so that it may be turned by the thumb and forefinger.

To handle; to wear or soil by handling; as books. Poe.

A very diminutive person. [Colloq.] liwell.

See Hop-o'-my-thumb.

An annual weed (Polygonum Persicaria), having a lanceolate leaf with a dark spot in the middle.

Of or pertaining to Northumberland in England. -- n.

A name given to several species of plants of the genus Polygonum, having angular stems beset with minute reflexed prickles.

A small quantity of wine and water, which is used to wash the priest's thumb and index finger after the communion, and which then, as perhaps containing portions of the consecrated elements, is drunk by the priest.

son Paris' love. Shak. I must acquaint you that I have received New dated letters from Northumberland. Shak.

Of all living (by way of emphasis). Northumberland was the proudest man alive. Clarendon.

Capable of being apposed, or applied one to another, as the thumb to the fingers of the hand.

A genus of American monkeys with prehensile tails, and having the thumb wanting or rudimentary. See Spider monkey, and Coaita.

A roundish protuberant portion of some part of the body; as, the ball of the thumb; the ball of the foot.

Bastard wing (Zoöl.), three to five quill feathers on a small joint corresponding to the thumb in some mam malia; the alula.

ed upon anthropometric measurements, notes of markings, deformities, color, impression of thumb lines, etc.