Thumbnail
/ˈθʌm.neɪl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The fingernail on the thumb.
- 2 the nail of the thumb wordnet
- 3 A rough sketch (e.g., the size of one's thumbnail).
- 4 A small picture, used as a compact representation of a larger image.
- 5 A picture displayed by posts and videos pre-clicked conveying the matters discussed/shown in that post.
Verb
- 1 To describe concisely. transitive
- 2 To create a smaller representation of (a larger image). transitive
Example
More examples"Language is just a map of human thoughts, feelings and memories. And like all maps, language is a thumbnail image a hundred thousand times smaller than what it is trying to convey."
Etymology
From thumb + nail. Compare West Frisian tommeneil (“thumbnail”), Dutch duimnagel (“thumbnail”), German Daumennagel (“thumbnail”). The phrase thumbnail sketch was first attested 1852. Verb sense attested 1930s.