1. turning pages of a book or magazine quickly with the thumb
2. hitchhiking by extending the thumb to signal for a ride
Usage: informal
3. pressing or touching something with the thumb

Examples

• She was thumbing through the magazine while waiting.
• He spent the afternoon thumbing through old photo albums.
• The college student was thumbing a ride to campus.
• They were thumbing their way across the country.
• She was thumbing the pages of her textbook nervously.
• He was thumbing the remote control buttons.
• The librarian caught him thumbing through the rare books.