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Definition of thumbtack
thumbtack
/ˈθʌm.tæk/
thumb · tack
Plural:thumbtacks
•Past Simple:thumbtacked
•Past Participle:thumbtacked
•Present Participle:thumbtacking
thumbtack Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
thumbtack Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American A short tack with a broad, flat head, designed to be pressed into a wall or bulletin board with the thumb.
Example
"She used a red thumbtack to secure the flyer to the community corkboard."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for thumbtack• verb
1
North American To fasten or attach an object to a surface using a short, flat-headed tack.
Example
"He thumbtacked the map to his bedroom wall to plan his upcoming road trip."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for thumbtack Antonyms
View all antonyms for thumbtackWord Nuance & Usage
The word 'thumbtack' is primarily used in North American English; the British English equivalent is 'drawing pin'.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in North America in the early 20th century as a compound of 'thumb' and 'tack', explicitly describing a short tack that can be manually pushed into a surface using only the thumb.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Thumbtack. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/thumbtack