Standard Lemma guide

thimblerig

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈθɪmbəlɹɪɡ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A game of skill which requires the bettor to guess under which of three small cups (or thimbles) a pea-sized object has been placed after the party operating the game rapidly rearranges them, providing opportunity for sleight-of-hand trickery; a shell game.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shell game

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One operating such a game.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: thimblerigger

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To operate a thimblerig game.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To cheat (someone) by trickery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive, figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a swindling sleight-of-hand game; victim guesses which of three things a pellet is under

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: shell game

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swindle, cheat, rig

History

Etymology

From thimble + rig.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тука има - тука няма (tuka ima - tuka njama) — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Hungarian: itt a piros — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Polish: gra w trzy kubki i groszek — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Russian: напёрстки (napjórstki) — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Spanish: trile — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Tagalog: tatlong-didal — sleight-of-hand betting game — see also shell game
  • Polish: osoba prowadząca grę w trzy kubki i groszek — person operating such a game — see also thimblerigger
  • Russian: напёрсточник (napjórstočnik) — person operating such a game — see also thimblerigger
  • Spanish: trilero — person operating such a game — see also thimblerigger
  • Spanish: trilera — person operating such a game — see also thimblerigger