View synonyms for

green thumb

noun

an exceptional aptitude for gardening or for growing plants successfully.
Houseplants provide much pleasure for the city dweller with a green thumb.

green thumb

noun

Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): green fingers.��considerable talent or ability to grow plants

green thumb

A knack for growing plants and keeping them healthy: “All my houseplants are in sorry shape; it's clear I don't have a green thumb.”

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Other Word Forms

green-thumbed adjective
green-thumber noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of green thumb¹

First recorded in 1940–45

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Idioms and Phrases

A knack for making plants grow well, as in Just look at Louise's plants—she really has a green thumb. This term presumably alludes to the stained fingers of an avid gardener. [First half of 1900s]

greenth green turtle

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