thumbnail
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thumbnail
- /ˈθʌm.neɪl/
Rhymes with -eɪl
Where it comes from
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.
noun thumbnails
- The fingernail on the thumb.
- A rough sketch (e.g., the size of one's thumbnail).
- A small picture, used as a compact representation of a larger image.
- A small picture representing a post or a video in a list.
verb thumbnails · thumbnailing · thumbnailed
- To describe concisely.
- To create a smaller representation of (a larger image).
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: sticker, decal, miniature, contents, vignette, picture, thumb, photo, fingernail, nail, bookmark, dialer, index, thumbkin, thumbtip, thumbikins
Translations
Every language
noun fingernail on the thumb
| Español | uña del pulgar, uña de pólice |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 엄지손톱 eomjisontop |
| 日本語 | 親指の爪 oyayubi no tsume |
| 中文 | 拇指指甲 mǔzhǐzhǐjiǎ |
| Português | unha do polegar |
| Français | ongle du pouce |
| Deutsch | Daumennagel |
| Русский | но́готь большо́го па́льца nógotʹ bolʹšóvo pálʹca |
| Tiếng Việt | móng ngón tay cái |
noun rough sketch
| 中文 | 粗略草圖 /粗略草图 |
|---|---|
| Português | esboço |
| Français | croquis |
| Русский | набро́сок nabrósok, эски́з eskíz |
noun chiefly computing: small picture
| Español | miniatura |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 섬네일 seomneil |
| 日本語 | サムネイル samuneiru |
| 中文 | 縮略圖 /缩略图 suōlüètú |
| Português | miniatura, thumbnail |
| Français | aperçu, vignette, miniature |
| Deutsch | Vorschaubild, Thumbnail, Bildvorschau, Miniaturbild |
| Italiano | anteprima, miniatura |
| Română | miniatură |
| Русский | миниатю́ра miniatjúra, карти́нка kartínka, превью prevʹju |
| Tiếng Việt | hình nhỏ |
verb describe concisely
| Español | pormenorizar |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 簡要描述 /简要描述 |
| Português | bosquejar, esboçar, esquissar |
Talk about this word "thumbnail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/thumbnail. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. thumbnail. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/thumbnail "thumbnail." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/thumbnail.Cite this
@misc{thumbnail_2026,
title = {thumbnail},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/thumbnail},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
