thimble

noun

thim·​ble ˈthim-bəl How to pronounce thimble (audio)
1
: a pitted cap or cover worn on the finger to push the needle in sewing
2
a
: a grooved ring of thin metal used to fit in a spliced loop in a rope as protection from chafing
b
: a lining (as of metal) for an opening (as in a roof or wall) through which a stovepipe or chimney passes

Examples of thimble in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead of a top hat or a thimble, players can navigate the board with an airplane seat, golf club, flip flops, and so on. Makena Kelly, WIRED, 1 Nov. 2024 But Mullins bought both, and anything else (pitchers, thimbles) remotely related. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 27 Sep. 2024 It’s made with metal or plastic and about the size of a thimble. Vernal Coleman, ProPublica, 30 July 2024 For starters, there’s Lacy’s bookcase theatre, a menagerie of small figurines posed side by side, dressed in candy wrappers and offered beverages in thimbles. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for thimble 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thymel, thymbyl, from Old English thȳmel covering for the thumb, from thūma thumb

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thimble was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near thimble

Cite this Entry

“Thimble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thimble. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

thimble

noun
thim·​ble ˈthim-bəl How to pronounce thimble (audio)
: a cap or cover used in sewing to protect the finger that pushes the needle

More from Merriam-Webster on thimble

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