thumb

1. (transitive) To touch or cover with the thumb.Examples: "to thumb the touch-hole of a cannon"; "News agencies reported Lavrov had been sent to hospital for a checkup, only for the Russian foreign ministry to rush out a picture of Lavrov in shorts, sporting an Apple watch and Jean-Michel Basquiat-inspired T-shirt, thumbing his notes for his first address at the summit on Tuesday."transitive

2. (transitive, with through) To turn the pages of (a book) in order to read it cursorily.Examples: "thumb through"; "I thumbed through the book and decided not to bother reading it all."; "It is also disconcerting when you suddenly realise that the driver isn't steering, but may be thumbing over his Customs papers with his feet up."Synonyms: peruse, flip through, browse, leaf, page, perusetransitive

3. (travel) To hitchhike.Examples: "So I started thumbin' back east, toward my hometown."; "Bobby thumbed a diesel down, just before it rained."; "Thumbed a diesel down, outside a cafe."

1. (informal) The eastern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, United States (the "Mitten").Examples: "Turnip Rock is located in a portion of eastern Michigan dubbed the Thumb, where 140 miles of coastline and waterfront towns offer a variety of outdoor activities, including biking, walking and kayaking."informal