thimble

Meanings

Noun

• A pitted, now usually metal, cup-shaped cap worn on the tip of a finger, which is used in sewing to push the needle through material.
• As much as fills a thimble (sense 1); a thimbleful.
• An object which resembles a thimble (sense 1) in shape or size.
• A metal ring which a cable or rope intended for attaching to other things is looped around as a protection against chafing.
• A ring- or tube-shaped component such as a ferrule.

Verb

• To use a thimble (noun sense 1).
• To sew.

Origin

• The noun is derived from Middle English thymbyll, thimel, from Old English þȳmel, then either:
• ; or
• from Proto-Germanic *þūmilaz, from *þūmô (ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root mentioned above) + *-ilaz.
• The English word is analysable as thumb + -le, and is cognate with Dutch duimeling, German Däumling, German Low German Dümelke, Saterland Frisian Düümelke, Scots thummle, thumble.
• The verb is derived from the noun.