Thill coupling, a device for connecting the thill of a vehicle to the
axle.
Thill"er (?), n. The horse which goes between the thills, or shafts,
and supports them; also, the last horse in a team; — called also thill
horse.
Thim"ble (?), n. [OE. thimbil, AS. &?;&?;mel, fr. &?;&?;ma a thumb.
√56. See Thumb.] 1. A kind of cap or cover, or sometimes a broad ring,
for the end of the finger, used in sewing to protect the finger when
pushing the needle through the material. It is usually made of metal,
and has upon the outer surface numerous small pits to catch the head of
the needle.
2. (Mech.) Any thimble-shaped appendage or fixure. Specifically: — (a)
A tubular piece, generally a strut, through which a bolt or pin passes.
(b) A fixed or movable ring, tube, or lining placed in a hole. (c) A
tubular cone for expanding a flue; — called ferrule in England.
3. (Naut.) A ring of thin metal formed with a grooved circumference so
as to fit within an eye-spice, or the like, and protect it from
chafing.
Thim"ble*ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) A kind of black raspberry (Rubus
occidentalis), common in America.
Thim"ble*eye` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The chub mackerel. See under Chub.
Thim"ble*ful (?), n.; pl. Thimblefuls (&?;). As much as a thimble will
hold; a very small quantity.
For a thimbleful of golf, a thimbleful of love.
Dryden.
Thim"ble*rig` (?), n. A sleight-of-hand trick played with three small
cups, shaped like thimbles, and a small ball or little pea.
Thim"ble*rig`, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Thimblerigged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Thimblerigging.] To swindle by means of small cups or thimbles, and a
pea or small ball placed under one of them and quickly shifted to
another, the victim laying a wager that he knows under which cup it is;
hence, to cheat by any trick.
Thim"ble*rig`ger (?), n. One who cheats by thimblerigging, or tricks of
legerdemain.
Thim"ble*weed` (?), n. (Bot.) Any plant of the composite genus
Rudbeckia, coarse herbs somewhat resembling the sunflower; — so called
from their conical receptacles.
Thin (?), a. [Compar. Thiner (?); superl. Thinest.] [OE. thinne,
thenne, thunne, AS. þynne; akin to D. dun, G. dünn, OHG. dunni, Icel.
þunnr, Sw. tunn, Dan. tynd, Gael. & Ir. tana, W. teneu, L. tenuis, Gr.
&?; (in comp.) stretched out, &?; stretched, stretched out, long, Skr.
tanu thin, slender; also to AS. &?;enian to extend, G. dehnen, Icel.
&?;enja, Goth. &?;anjan (in comp.), L. tendere to stretch, tenere to
hold, Gr. &?; to stretch, Skr. tan. √51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance,
Tempt, Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder, Tone.] 1. Having little
thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate
of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering.
2. Rare; not dense or thick; — applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as,
thin blood; thin broth; thin air. Shak.
In the day, when the air is more thin.
Bacon.
Satan, bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappeared, Into thin air
diffused.
Milton.
3. Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the
individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state;
hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or
grass is thin.
Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people.
Addison.