thimble

noun

thim·​ble ˈthim-bəl 

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

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

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

Kids Definition

thimble

noun

thim·​ble ˈthim-bəl 

: a cap or cover used in sewing to protect the finger that pushes the needle