— thimblelike , adj.
/thim"beuhl/ , n.
1. a small cap, usually of metal, worn over the fingertip to protect it when pushing a needle through cloth in sewing.
2. Mech. any of various similar devices or attachments.
3. Naut. a metal ring with a concave groove on the outside, used to line the outside of a ring of rope forming an eye.
4. a sleeve of sheet metal passing through the wall of a chimney, for holding the end of a stovepipe or the like.
5. a thimble-shaped printing element with raised characters on the exterior: used in a type of electronic typewriter or computer printer (thimble printer) .
[ bef. 1000; ME thym ( b ) yl, OE thymel; akin to ON thumall thumb of a glove. See THUMB, -LE ]