a. [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.
1816. Sir Everard Home, in U.S. Gaz., 3 Aug., 4/2. He [man] was commanded to subdue the earth, and was authorized to exercise dominion over the beasts of the field:—things as much out of his power, had he been thumbless, as arresting the stars in their courses.
1720. D’Urfey, Pills, VI. 351. And there’ll be Bow-legg’d Bobby, And thumbless Kate’s geud Man.
1859. Owen, Classif. Mamalia, 48. The true Baboons … are African, as are the thumbless Monkeys (Colobus).
1870. J. Orton, Andes & Amazons, xxi. (1876), 312. One genus, Ateles, ‘the imperfect,’ is thumbless altogether.
1890. Doyle, White Company, viii. Leaving the thumbless archer and his brood, the wayfarers struck through the scattered huts of Emery Down.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 24 Dec., 4/1. An African thumbless inonkey is among the recent additions to the ‘Zoo’ menagerie.
b. fig. Clumsy; incompetent; cf. HANDLESS 2.
1648. Herrick, Hesper., Leprosie in Houses. When to a house I come and see … The servants thumblesse.
