Word Meanings - THUMBKIN - Book Publishers vocabulary database

An instrument of torture for compressing the thumb; a thumbscrew.

Related words: (words related to THUMBKIN)

• INSTRUMENTAL
  Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for, an instrument, esp. a musical instrument; as, instrumental music, distinguished from vocal music. "He defended the use of instrumental music in public worship." Macaulay. Sweet voices mix'd with instrumental
• THUMBLESS
  Without a thumb. Darwin.
• THUMBKIN
  An instrument of torture for compressing the thumb; a thumbscrew.
• COMPRESSIVE
  Compressing, or having power or tendency to compress; as, a compressive force.
• INSTRUMENTALITY
  The quality or condition of being instrumental; that which is instrumental; anything used as a means; medium; agency. The instrumentality of faith in justification. Bp. Burnet. The discovery of gunpowder developed the science of attack and defense
• INSTRUMENTATION
  1. The act of using or adapting as an instrument; a series or combination of instruments; means; agency. Otherwise we have no sufficient instrumentation for our human use or handling of so great a fact. H. Bushnell. The arrangement of a musical
• THUMBED
  1. Having thumbs. 2. Soiled by handling.
• INSTRUMENTALLY
  1. By means of an instrument or agency; as means to an end. South. They will argue that the end being essentially beneficial, the means become instrumentally so. Burke. 2. With instruments of music; as, a song instrumentally accompanied. Mason.
• INSTRUMENT
  A writing, as the means of giving formal expression to some act; a writing expressive of some act, contract, process, as a deed, contract, writ, etc. Burrill. 4. One who, or that which, is made a means, or is caused to serve a purpose; a medium,
• INSTRUMENTALISM
  The view that the sanction of truth is its utility, or that truth is genuine only in so far as it is a valuable instrument. -- In`stru*men"tal*ist, n. Instrumentalism views truth as simply the value belonging to certain ideas in so far as these
• THUMBBIRD
  The goldcrest.
• COMPRESSIBILITY
  The quality of being compressible of being compressible; as, the compressibility of elastic fluids.
• INSTRUMENTALIST
  One who plays upon an instrument of music, as distinguished from a vocalist.
• TORTURE
  rack, torture; probably akin to Gr. tre`pein to turn, G. drechsein to turn on a lathe, and perhaps to E. queer. Cf. Contort, Distort, 1. Extreme pain; anguish of body or mind; pang; agony; torment; as, torture of mind. Shak. Ghastly spasm
• TORTURER
  One who tortures; a tormentor.
• COMPRESSION PROJECTILE
  A projectile constructed so as to take the grooves of a rifle by means of a soft copper band firmly attached near its base or, formerly, by means of an envelope of soft metal. In small arms the modern projectile, having a soft core and
• INSTRUMENTALNESS
  Usefulness or agency, as means to an end; instrumentality. Hammond.
• COMPRESSOR
  Anything which serves to compress; as: A muscle that compresses certain parts. An instrument for compressing an artery (esp., the femoral artery) or other part. An apparatus for confining or flattening between glass plates an object to be examined
• COMPRESSURE
  Compression.
• THUMBSCREW
  1. A screw having a flat-sided or knurled head, so that it may be turned by the thumb and forefinger. 2. An old instrument of torture for compressing the thumb by a screw; a thumbkin.
• INCOMPRESSIBLE
  Not compressible; incapable of being reduced by force or pressure into a smaller compass or volume; resisting compression; as, many liquids and solids appear to be almost incompressible. -- In`com*press"i*ble*ness, n.
• INCOMPRESSIBILITY
  The quality of being incompressible, or incapable of reduction in volume by pressure; -- formerly supposed to be a property of liquids. The incompressibility of water is not absolute. Rees.
• PRETORTURE
  To torture beforehand. Fuller.
• BETHUMB
  To handle; to wear or soil by handling; as books. Poe.
• NORTHUMBRIAN
  Of or pertaining to Northumberland in England. -- n.
• SUBCOMPRESSED
  Not fully compressed; partially or somewhat compressed.
• OBCOMPRESSED
  Compressed or flattened antero-posteriorly, or in a way opposite to the usual one.
• HOP-O'-MY-THUMB; HOP-THUMB
  A very diminutive person. liwell.