thumbnail
English
Etymology
From thumb + nailCategory:English compound terms#THUMBNAIL. Compare West Frisian tommeneil (“thumbnail”), Dutch duimnagel (“thumbnail”), German Daumennagel (“thumbnail”).
The phrase thumbnail sketch was first attested 1852. Verb sense attested 1930s.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈθʌm.neɪl/Category:English 2-syllable words#THUMBNAILCategory:English terms with IPA pronunciation#THUMBNAIL
Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#THUMBNAILAudio (Southern England): (file) - Rhymes: -eɪlCategory:Rhymes:English/eɪl#THUMBNAILCategory:Rhymes:English/eɪl/2 syllables#THUMBNAIL
Noun
thumbnail (plural thumbnails)Category:English lemmas#THUMBNAILCategory:English nouns#THUMBNAILCategory:English countable nouns#THUMBNAILCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with entries#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with 2 entries#THUMBNAIL
- The fingernail on the thumb.
- A rough sketch (e.g., the size of one's thumbnail).
- (chiefly computingCategory:en:Computing#THUMBNAIL) A small picture, used as a compact representation of a larger image.
- (social mediaCategory:en:Social media#THUMBNAIL) A picture displayed by posts and videos pre-clicked conveying the matters discussed/shown in that post.
Usage notes
- (computing): Unlike an icon, which is generally a representative symbol, a thumbnail is a smaller identical copy of the original larger image.
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations
See also
Verb
thumbnail (third-person singular simple present thumbnails, present participle thumbnailing, simple past and past participle thumbnailed)Category:English lemmas#THUMBNAILCategory:English verbs#THUMBNAILCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with entries#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with 2 entries#THUMBNAIL
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#THUMBNAIL) To describe concisely.
- (transitiveCategory:English transitive verbs#THUMBNAIL, computingCategory:en:Computing#THUMBNAIL) To create a smaller representation of (a larger image).
Derived terms
Translations
Further reading
- Maven's Word of the Day, December 11, 1997
- Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “thumb”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Portuguese
Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from EnglishCategory:Portuguese terms borrowed from English#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese unadapted borrowings from English#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese terms derived from English#THUMBNAIL thumbnail.
Pronunciation
- (Brazil) IPA(key): /tɐ̃bˈnej.ow/ [tɐ̃bˈneɪ̯.oʊ̯], /tɐ̃.biˈnej.ow/ [tɐ̃.biˈneɪ̯.oʊ̯]Category:Portuguese 3-syllable words#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese 4-syllable words#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation#THUMBNAIL
- (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /tɐ̃bˈnej.ow/ [tɐ̃bˈneɪ̯.oʊ̯]Category:Portuguese 3-syllable words#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation#THUMBNAIL
Noun
thumbnail m (plural thumbnails)Category:Portuguese lemmas#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese nouns#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese countable nouns#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese entries with incorrect language header#THUMBNAILCategory:Portuguese masculine nouns#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with entries#THUMBNAILCategory:Pages with 2 entries#THUMBNAIL
- (computingCategory:pt:Computing#THUMBNAIL) thumbnail (a miniature preview of a larger image)
- Synonym: miniatura