"green thumb" meaning in English

See green thumb in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: en-au-green thumb.ogg Forms: green thumbs [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} green thumb (plural green thumbs)
  1. (US, idiomatic) A natural skill for gardening. Tags: US, idiomatic Categories (topical): Horticulture, People Synonyms: green fingers Related terms: brown thumb
    Sense id: en-green_thumb-en-noun-xxtGblL0 Disambiguation of Horticulture: 93 7 Disambiguation of People: 49 51 Categories (other): American English, English bahuvrihi compounds, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Tagalog translations Disambiguation of English bahuvrihi compounds: 72 28 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 73 27 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 85 15 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 85 15 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 81 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 72 28 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 83 17 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 86 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 86 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Tagalog translations: 69 31
  2. (US) A person with this skill. Tags: US Categories (topical): People Translations (person): iemand met groene vingers (Dutch), viherpeukalo (Finnish), quelqu’un qui a la main verte [masculine] (French), une personne qui a la main verte [feminine] (French), grüner Daumen [masculine] (German), pollice verde [masculine] (Italian), иску́сный садово́д (iskúsnyj sadovód) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-green_thumb-en-noun-RSnb2pk5 Disambiguation of People: 49 51 Categories (other): American English Disambiguation of 'person': 0 100
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Translations (skill): grønne fingre [plural] (Danish), groene vingers [masculine, plural] (Dutch), main verte [feminine] (French), pouce vert (english: Missouri) [Louisiana, New-England, Quebec, masculine] (French), grüner Daumen [masculine] (German), grüne Hand [feminine] (German), pollice verde [masculine] (Italian), садово́дческое иску́сство (sadovódčeskoje iskússtvo) [neuter] (Russian), gröna fingrar [neuter, plural] (Swedish), berdeng hinlalaki (Tagalog)
Disambiguation of 'skill': 53 47

Inflected forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "fr-CA",
            "2": "pouce vert",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Canadian French: pouce vert (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Canadian French: pouce vert (calque)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "grüner Daumen",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: grüner Daumen (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: grüner Daumen (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "green thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "green thumb (plural green thumbs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English bahuvrihi compounds",
          "parents": [
            "Bahuvrihi compounds",
            "Compound terms",
            "Exocentric compounds",
            "Terms by etymology"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "88 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "72 28",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "86 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "86 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Tagalog translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Horticulture",
          "orig": "en:Horticulture",
          "parents": [
            "Agriculture",
            "Botany",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Biology",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Wow, did you plant this entire garden on your own? You really must have a green thumb.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1987, Lyall Watson, The dreams of dragons: riddles of natural history:",
          "text": "Everyone knows someone who has a \"green thumb,\" who seems to be able to get plants to grow well just by being around, by talking or even playing music[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Barbara Damrosch, The Garden Primer:",
          "text": "[…]they leave gardening to those who presumably have lots of time to read and better yet, have a \"green thumb.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Des Kennedy, The Passionate Gardener: Adventures of an Ardent Green Thumb:",
          "text": "Oh, I'll never have a green thumb, no matter how long I stay at it. Nothing ever seems to work for me. Everything I plant dies.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A natural skill for gardening."
      ],
      "id": "en-green_thumb-en-noun-xxtGblL0",
      "links": [
        [
          "natural",
          "natural"
        ],
        [
          "skill",
          "skill"
        ],
        [
          "gardening",
          "gardening"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, idiomatic) A natural skill for gardening."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0",
          "word": "brown thumb"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "green fingers"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "49 51",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I should ask the green thumb next door what she recommends for my droopy daffodils.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person with this skill."
      ],
      "id": "en-green_thumb-en-noun-RSnb2pk5",
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US) A person with this skill."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "iemand met groene vingers"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "person",
          "word": "viherpeukalo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "quelqu’un qui a la main verte"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "une personne qui a la main verte"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "grüner Daumen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "pollice verde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "iskúsnyj sadovód",
          "sense": "person",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "иску́сный садово́д"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-green thumb.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/En-au-green_thumb.ogg/En-au-green_thumb.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/En-au-green_thumb.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "grønne fingre"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "groene vingers"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "main verte"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "fr",
      "english": "Missouri",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "Louisiana",
        "New-England",
        "Quebec",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pouce vert"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "grüner Daumen"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "grüne Hand"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pollice verde"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sadovódčeskoje iskússtvo",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "садово́дческое иску́сство"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "neuter",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "gröna fingrar"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "53 47",
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "skill",
      "word": "berdeng hinlalaki"
    }
  ],
  "word": "green thumb"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjective-noun compound nouns",
    "English bahuvrihi compounds",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Tagalog translations",
    "en:Horticulture",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "fr-CA",
            "2": "pouce vert",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ Canadian French: pouce vert (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ Canadian French: pouce vert (calque)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "grüner Daumen",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: grüner Daumen (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: grüner Daumen (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "green thumbs",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "green thumb (plural green thumbs)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "brown thumb"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Wow, did you plant this entire garden on your own? You really must have a green thumb.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1987, Lyall Watson, The dreams of dragons: riddles of natural history:",
          "text": "Everyone knows someone who has a \"green thumb,\" who seems to be able to get plants to grow well just by being around, by talking or even playing music[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2003, Barbara Damrosch, The Garden Primer:",
          "text": "[…]they leave gardening to those who presumably have lots of time to read and better yet, have a \"green thumb.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2006, Des Kennedy, The Passionate Gardener: Adventures of an Ardent Green Thumb:",
          "text": "Oh, I'll never have a green thumb, no matter how long I stay at it. Nothing ever seems to work for me. Everything I plant dies.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A natural skill for gardening."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "natural",
          "natural"
        ],
        [
          "skill",
          "skill"
        ],
        [
          "gardening",
          "gardening"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US, idiomatic) A natural skill for gardening."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "green fingers"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I should ask the green thumb next door what she recommends for my droopy daffodils.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person with this skill."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US) A person with this skill."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-green thumb.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/En-au-green_thumb.ogg/En-au-green_thumb.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/En-au-green_thumb.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "grønne fingre"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "groene vingers"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "main verte"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "english": "Missouri",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "Louisiana",
        "New-England",
        "Quebec",
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pouce vert"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "grüner Daumen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "grüne Hand"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pollice verde"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sadovódčeskoje iskússtvo",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "садово́дческое иску́сство"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "skill",
      "tags": [
        "neuter",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "gröna fingrar"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "skill",
      "word": "berdeng hinlalaki"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "iemand met groene vingers"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "person",
      "word": "viherpeukalo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "quelqu’un qui a la main verte"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "une personne qui a la main verte"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "grüner Daumen"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "pollice verde"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "iskúsnyj sadovód",
      "sense": "person",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "иску́сный садово́д"
    }
  ],
  "word": "green thumb"
}

Download raw JSONL data for green thumb meaning in English (5.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (df33d17 and 4ed51a5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.