Illustration of thumbscrew
- thumbscrew 2
thumbscrew
noun
thumb·screw
ˈthəm-ˌskrü 
1
: an instrument of torture for compressing the thumb by a screw
2
: a screw having a flat-sided or knurled head so that it may be turned by the thumb and index finger
Examples of thumbscrew in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And both side panels are tool-less, a snap to slide open with two non-removable thumbscrews.
—
Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
The hood secures via a small thumbscrew and is deeper than the lens itself, just like the one for the Leica Summaron.
—PCMAG, 26 May 2024
The collar is metal, tightens with a thumbscrew, and rotates freely without detent stops.
—PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024
In it, the strip lays out various torture methods listed by pain level: thumbscrews, the rack, the pillory, the Iron Maiden.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Lock the cable in place by tightening the retaining thumbscrew.
—Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2021
So was the Labour Party’s use of thumbscrews on its wavering MPs.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
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Jason Evangelho, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
The hood secures via a small thumbscrew and is deeper than the lens itself, just like the one for the Leica Summaron.
—PCMAG, 26 May 2024
The collar is metal, tightens with a thumbscrew, and rotates freely without detent stops.
—PCMAG, 1 Feb. 2024
In it, the strip lays out various torture methods listed by pain level: thumbscrews, the rack, the pillory, the Iron Maiden.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
Lock the cable in place by tightening the retaining thumbscrew.
—Joseph Truini, Popular Mechanics, 10 Aug. 2021
So was the Labour Party’s use of thumbscrews on its wavering MPs.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
Dictionary Entries Near thumbscrew
Cite this Entry
“Thumbscrew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thumbscrew. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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