thimble

[ thim-buh l ]
/ ˈθɪm bəl /

noun

a small cap, usually of metal, worn over the fingertip to protect it when pushing a needle through cloth in sewing.
Mechanics. any of various similar devices or attachments.
Nautical. a metal ring with a concave groove on the outside, used to line the outside of a ring of rope forming an eye.
a sleeve of sheet metal passing through the wall of a chimney, for holding the end of a stovepipe or the like.
a thimble-shaped printing element with raised characters on the exterior: used in a type of electronic typewriter or computer printer (thimble printer).

Origin of thimble

before 1000; Middle English thym(b)yl, Old English thȳmel; akin to Old Norse thumall thumb of a glove. See thumb, -le

OTHER WORDS FROM thimble

thim·ble·like, adjective

Words nearby thimble

thighbone, thigmesthesia, thigmotaxis, thigmotropism, thill, thimble, thimbleberry, thimbleful, thimblerig, thimbleweed, thimblewit

Example sentences from the Web for thimble

British Dictionary definitions for thimble

thimble
/ (ˈθɪmbəl) /

noun

a cap of metal, plastic, etc, used to protect the end of the finger when sewing
any small metal cap resembling this
nautical a loop of metal having a groove at its outer edge for a rope or cable, for lining the inside of an eye
short for thimbleful

Word Origin for thimble

Old English thӯmel thumbstall, from thūma thumb