What does thumbnail mean?
Word: Thumbnail
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Thumbnail means the hard flat covering at the tip of the short, thick finger on your hand. On a computer screen it is also a tiny picture that stands for a larger one.
How do you spell thumbnail?
Syllables: thumb - nail
Tricky part: The b after the m is silent, so pupils who write what they hear leave it out.
Watch out for: thumnail, thumbnaill
Memory tip: Lamb, comb and crumb all keep a quiet b after the m, and this word does the same.
Thumbnail in a sentence
Example 1: Our art teacher pressed her thumbnail into the clay to make a neat pattern.
Example 2: I picked a bright thumbnail for my science video so that my friends would notice it.
Example 3: The carpenter checked the edge of the plank with his thumbnail.
Fun Fact
Before starting a large picture, artists often try out their ideas in tiny rough drawings known as thumbnail sketches.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Makeup
Only one of these compound words is spelt correctly. Choose it:
a) thumbnail
b) wristwach
c) toothpast
d) fingurprint
Show answer
a) thumbnail. Fingerprint has er after the g, wristwatch needs its t, and toothpaste ends in e.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
th_mb_ail
a) u, n
b) a, n
c) u, m
d) o, n
Show answer
a) u, n. The vowel is the u of drum, and the second gap holds the n of nest.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Click the small thumbnale on the screen to open the full photo.
a) thumbnale
b) screen
c) small
d) photo
Show answer
a) thumbnale. The word ends in ail, as in snail.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
mabunlthi
a) hailstone
b) handbrake
c) thumbnail
d) headlight
Show answer
c) thumbnail. The jumble has both a u and an m, and only one of the four words uses them.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why does a photo gallery app show thumbnails rather than full pictures at first?
a) so that many images fit on screen
b) so that the camera takes sharper shots
c) so that the battery charges faster
d) so that photos can be printed for free
Show answer
a) so that many images fit on screen
2. A magazine gives a thumbnail sketch of a new author. What should readers expect?
a) a full-length life story
b) a drawing of her hands
c) a list of every book sold
d) a brief account of her life
Show answer
d) a brief account of her life
