thumbnail

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the hard, flat part at the end of your thumb.

n. the fingernail located on the thumb.

“He accidentally hit his thumbnail with the hammer while fixing the fence.”

“The doctor examined the patient's thumbnail for signs of discoloration that might indicate a nutritional deficiency.”

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a very small, rough drawing or a short description of something.

n. a small, rough sketch or a concise verbal description, often used in the phrase 'thumbnail sketch'.

“The artist drew a few thumbnails in her notebook before starting the painting.”

“The biographer provided a vivid thumbnail sketch of the politician's early life, capturing his character in just a few paragraphs.”

C2 · Proficiency Literary

v. to describe something in a very short and clear way.

v. to describe or summarize something concisely. Transitive — takes a direct object.

“The reporter tried to thumbnail the complex situation in a single sentence.”

“In his opening remarks, the professor attempted to thumbnail the entire history of the conflict, though many felt he omitted crucial details.”

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

v. to make a small version of a digital picture.

v. to create a smaller, preview-sized representation of a larger digital image. Transitive — takes a direct object.

“The software will automatically thumbnail your photos when you upload them.”

“The script was designed to thumbnail thousands of high-resolution assets simultaneously to prepare them for the mobile application's interface.”