Now dial. A rope made by twisting hay or straw on the thumb; cf. THUMB-BAND.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 501. To lap and wrap them about with wreaths and thumb-ropes of straw.
1601. Deacon & Walker, Spirits & Divels, 83. Matters that cleaue together like thombe-roppes of sand.
1679. Alsop, Melius Inq., II. ii. 212. A Thumb-rope of Sand, will make an excellent Cable for Fishers-folly.
1733. Tull, Horse-Hoeing Husb., xxi. 300. Winding Thumb-Ropes of Straw about the Iron Circles of the Wheels, and about the Spokes.
1805. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., II. 448. When ready for stacking, they are bound with thumb-ropes, and put on the carts.
1894. Northumbld. Gloss., Thoom-rope, a short straw-rope, extemporized by twisting it on the thumb of the right hand whilst the length required is drawn evenly through the left hand.
