thin

a. [ Compar. Thiner superl. Thinest. ] [ OE. thinne, thenne, thunne, AS. þynne; akin to D. dun, G. dünn, OHG. dunni, Icel. þunnr, Sw. tunn, Dan. tynd, Gael. & Ir. tana, W. teneu, L. tenuis, Gr. &unr_; (in comp.) stretched out, &unr_; stretched, stretched out, long, Skr. tanu thin, slender; also to AS. &unr_;enian to extend, G. dehnen, Icel. &unr_;enja, Goth. &unr_;anjan (in comp.), L. tendere to stretch, tenere to hold, Gr. &unr_; to stretch, Skr. tan. √51 & 237. Cf. Attenuate, Dance, Tempt, Tenable, Tend to move, Tenous, Thunder, Tone. ] 1. Having little thickness or extent from one surface to its opposite; as, a thin plate of metal; thin paper; a thin board; a thin covering. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Rare; not dense or thick; -- applied to fluids or soft mixtures; as, thin blood; thin broth; thin air. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the day, when the air is more thin. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Satan, bowing low
His gray dissimulation, disappeared,
Into thin air diffused. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not close; not crowded; not filling the space; not having the individuals of which the thing is composed in a close or compact state; hence, not abundant; as, the trees of a forest are thin; the corn or grass is thin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ferrara is very large, but extremely thin of people. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Not full or well grown; wanting in plumpness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seven thin ears . . . blasted with the east wind. Gen. xli. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Not stout; slim; slender; lean; gaunt; as, a person becomes thin by disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Wanting in body or volume; small; feeble; not full. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thin, hollow sounds, and lamentable screams. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Slight; small; slender; flimsy; wanting substance or depth or force; superficial; inadequate; not sufficient for a covering; as, a thin disguise. [ 1913 Webster ]

My tale is done, for my wit is but thin. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Thin is used in the formation of compounds which are mostly self-explaining; as, thin-faced, thin-lipped, thin-peopled, thin-shelled, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thin section. See under Section. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Thinned p. pr. & vb. n. Thinning. ] [ Cf. AS. geþynnian. ] To make thin (in any of the senses of the adjective). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grow or become thin; -- used with some adverbs, as out, away, etc.; as, geological strata thin out, i. e., gradually diminish in thickness until they disappear. [ 1913 Webster ]

pron. & a. [ OE. thin, AS. ðīn, originally gen. of ðu, ðū, thou; akin to G. dein thine, Icel. þinn, possessive pron., þīn, gen. of þū thou, Goth. þeins, possessive pron., þeina, gen. of þu thou. See Thou, and cf. Thy. ] A form of the possessive case of the pronoun thou, now superseded in common discourse by your, the possessive of you, but maintaining a place in solemn discourse, in poetry, and in the usual language of the Friends, or Quakers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the old style, thine was commonly shortened to thi (thy) when used attributively before words beginning with a consonant; now, thy is used also before vowels. Thine is often used absolutely, the thing possessed being understood. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. þing a thing, cause, assembly, judicial assembly; akin to þingan to negotiate, þingian to reconcile, conciliate, D. ding a thing, OS. thing thing, assembly, judicial assembly, G. ding a thing, formerly also, an assembly, court, Icel. þing a thing, assembly, court, Sw. & Dan. ting; perhaps originally used of the transaction of or before a popular assembly, or the time appointed for such an assembly; cf. G. dingen to bargain, hire, MHG. dingen to hold court, speak before a court, negotiate, Goth. þeihs time, perhaps akin to L. tempus time. Cf. Hustings, and Temporal of time. ] 1. Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, as a separate entity, whether animate or inanimate; any separable or distinguishable object of thought. [ 1913 Webster ]

God made . . . every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind. Gen. i. 25. [ 1913 Webster ]

He sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt. Gen. xiv. 23. [ 1913 Webster ]

A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Keats. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An inanimate object, in distinction from a living being; any lifeless material. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye meads and groves, unconscious things! Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A transaction or occurrence; an event; a deed. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ And Jacob said ] All these things are against me. Gen. xlii. 36. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. Matt. xxi. 24. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A portion or part; something. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wicked men who understand any thing of wisdom. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A diminutive or slighted object; any object viewed as merely existing; -- often used in pity or contempt. [ 1913 Webster ]

See, sons, what things you are! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The poor thing sighed, and . . . turned from me. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll be this abject thing no more. Granville. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a thing in prose. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. pl. Clothes; furniture; appurtenances; luggage; as, to pack or store one's things. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly, the singular was sometimes used in a plural or collective sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

And them she gave her moebles and her thing. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Thing was used in a very general sense in Old English, and is still heard colloquially where some more definite term would be used in careful composition. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the garden [ he ] walketh to and fro,
And hath his things [ i. e., prayers, devotions ] said full courteously. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hearkening his minstrels their things play. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Law) Whatever may be possessed or owned; a property; -- distinguished from person. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. def>In Scandinavian countries, a legislative or judicial assembly. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Things personal. (Law) Same as Personal property, under Personal. --
Things real. Same as Real property, under Real. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Act of thinking; a thought. “If you think that I'm finished, you've got another think coming!” [ Obs. or Colloq. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Thought p. pr. & vb. n. Thinking. ] [ OE. thinken, properly, to seem, from AS. þyncean (cf. Methinks), but confounded with OE. thenken to think, fr. AS. þencean (imp. þōhte); akin to D. denken, dunken, OS. thenkian, thunkian, G. denken, dünken, Icel. þekkja to perceive, to know, þykkja to seem, Goth. þagkjan, þaggkjan, to think, þygkjan to think, to seem, OL. tongere to know. Cf. Thank, Thought. ] 1. To seem or appear; -- used chiefly in the expressions methinketh or methinks, and methought. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ These are genuine Anglo-Saxon expressions, equivalent to it seems to me, it seemed to me. In these expressions me is in the dative case. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To employ any of the intellectual powers except that of simple perception through the senses; to exercise the higher intellectual faculties. [ 1913 Webster ]

For that I am
I know, because I think. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Specifically: -- (a) To call anything to mind; to remember; as, I would have sent the books, but I did not think of it. [ 1913 Webster ]

Well thought upon; I have it here. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) To reflect upon any subject; to muse; to meditate; to ponder; to consider; to deliberate. [ 1913 Webster ]

And when he thought thereon, he wept. Mark xiv. 72. [ 1913 Webster ]

He thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? Luke xii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

(c) To form an opinion by reasoning; to judge; to conclude; to believe; as, I think it will rain to-morrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let them marry to whom they think best. Num. xxxvi. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

(d) To purpose; to intend; to design; to mean. [ 1913 Webster ]

I thought to promote thee unto great honor. Num. xxiv. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou thought'st to help me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(e) To presume; to venture. [ 1913 Webster ]

Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. Matt. iii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ To think, in a philosophical use as yet somewhat limited, designates the higher intellectual acts, the acts preeminently rational; to judge; to compare; to reason. Thinking is employed by Hamilton as “comprehending all our collective energies.” It is defined by Mansel as “the act of knowing or judging by means of concepts, ”by Lotze as “the reaction of the mind on the material supplied by external influences.” See Thought. [ 1913 Webster ]

To think better of. See under Better. --
To think much of, or
To think well of, to hold in esteem; to esteem highly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To expect; guess; cogitate; reflect; ponder; contemplate; meditate; muse; imagine; suppose; believe. See Expect, Guess. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To conceive; to imagine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Charity . . . thinketh no evil. 1 Cor. xiii. 4, 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To plan or design; to plot; to compass. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

So little womanhood
And natural goodness, as to think the death
Of her own son. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To believe; to consider; to esteem. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor think superfluous other's aid. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

To think much, to esteem a great matter; to grudge. [ Obs. ] “[ He ] thought not much to clothe his enemies.” Milton. --
To think scorn. (a) To disdain. [ Obs. ] “He thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone.” Esther iii. 6. (b) To feel indignation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]