Thimble

This article is about the protective shield worn on the finger or thumb. For the wire rope termination device, see Wire rope § Thimbles.
A thimble
Der Fingerhüter (Thimblemaker) from Das Ständebuch by Jost Amman, 1568

A thimble is a small pitted cup worn on the finger that protects it from being pricked or poked by a needle while sewing. The Old English word þȳmel, the ancestor of thimble, is derived from Old English þūma, the ancestor of the English word thumb.[1]

  1. ^ "thimble - Word Histories and Mysteries - Credo Reference". Credoreference.com. Retrieved 13 January 2018.