thumbnail

English

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈθʌm.neɪl/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪl

Noun

thumbnail (plural thumbnails)

  1. The fingernail on the thumb.
  2. A rough sketch (e.g., the size of one's thumbnail).
  3. (chiefly computing) A small picture, used as a compact representation of a larger image.
  4. (social media) A small picture representing a post or a video in a list.

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

  • → Japanese: サムネイル (samuneiru), サムネール (samunēru), サムネ (samune) — clipping
  • → Korean: 섬네일 (seomneil)
  • → Portuguese: thumbnail
  • → German: Thumbnail

Translations

See also

Verb

thumbnail (third-person singular simple present thumbnails, present participle thumbnailing, simple past and past participle thumbnailed)

  1. (transitive) To describe concisely.
  2. (transitive, computing) To create a smaller representation of (a larger image).

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Portuguese

Etymology

    Unadapted borrowing from English thumbnail.

    Pronunciation

    • (Brazil) IPA(key): /tɐ̃bˈnej.ow/ [tɐ̃bˈneɪ̯.oʊ̯], /tɐ̃.biˈnej.ow/ [tɐ̃.biˈneɪ̯.oʊ̯]

    Noun

    thumbnail m (plural thumbnails)

    1. (computing) thumbnail (a miniature preview of a larger image)
      Synonym: miniatura
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