the.com/thumb
the rebel finger that opposed the others and built civilization with one defiant point.
means The short, thick, somewhat opposable first digit of the human hand, set apart from the four fingers and crucial for gripping.
from From Old English 'thuma,' which traces back to a Proto-Germanic root (compare German 'Daumen,' Dutch 'duim'). Scholars connect it further to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning roughly 'to swell' — the thumb as the fat, swollen digit, the same family that may have given us 'tumor' and 'tumescent.' The silent 'b,' added later by writers who liked the look of words like 'dumb' and 'limb,' was never actually pronounced.
- own muscles
- Nine separate muscles control it alone
- bone count
- Has two bones while other fingers have three
- genetic split
- Some people can bend it backward, some can't
- thumbs up
- Was reportedly an insult in ancient Rome
- brain space
- Commands a huge chunk of motor cortex
opposable thumb — unique to primates and some marsupials, allows grasping and tool use in humans and apes
tom thumb — english fairy tale character, tiny boy no bigger than a thumb, published 1621
rule of thumb — practical guideline in brewing, carpentry, and cooking since the 16th century