# thumbnail

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈθʌm.neɪl/ · frequency rank #21,386

## Definitions
1. The fingernail on the thumb.
2. A rough sketch (e.g., the size of one's thumbnail).
3. A small picture, used as a compact representation of a larger image.
4. A picture displayed by posts and videos pre-clicked conveying the matters discussed/shown in that post.

## Etymology
From thumb + nail. Compare West Frisian tommeneil (“thumbnail”), Dutch duimnagel (“thumbnail”), German Daumennagel (“thumbnail”).
The phrase thumbnail sketch was first attested 1852. Verb sense attested 1930s.

## Common misspellings (14)
`htumbnail`, `thhumbnail`, `thmubnail`, `thubmnail`, `thumbanil`, `thumbbnail`, `thumbnaill`, `thumbnali`, `thumbnial`, `thumbnnail`, `thummbnail`, `thumnbail`, `tthumbnail`, `tuhmbnail`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/thumbnail