| 释义 |
thumbless, a.|ˈθʌmlɪs|
[See -less.]
Having no thumb or thumbs; destitute or deprived of thumbs; spec. applied to the African Colobus and to the American Spider-monkeys (Ateles) in which the thumb is rudimentary or functionless.
1720D'Urfey Pills VI. 351 And there'll be Bow-legg'd Bobby, And thumbless Kate's geud Man. 1859Owen Classif. Mammalia 48 The true Baboons..are African, as are the thumbless Monkeys (Colobus). 1870J. Orton Andes & Amazons xxi. (1876) 312 One genus, Ateles, ‘the imperfect’, is thumbless altogether. 1890Doyle White Company viii, Leaving the thumbless archer and his brood, the wayfarers struck through the scattered huts of Emery Down. 1906Westm. Gaz. 24 Dec. 4/1 An African thumbless monkey is among the recent additions to the ‘Zoo’ menagerie.
b. fig. Clumsy; incompetent; cf. handless 2.
1648Herrick Hesper., Leprosie in Houses, When to a house I come and see..The servants thumblesse. |