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# opposable

«opposable» in Mova's school dictionary: **Able to be placed opposite and pressed against the other…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

adjective

### meaning for a pupil

Able to be placed opposite and pressed against the other fingers, like a human thumb, so that the hand can grip and pick things up. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#m1)

### sense in the lessons

A science word in lessons on humans, apes and adaptations: «opposable thumbs» let humans, apes and many monkeys hold tools, write and climb. Some animals, like koalas and opossums, have opposable digits on their feet or hands.

### examples

- Humans have opposable thumbs, so we can hold a pencil. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x1)
- Try picking up a coin without using your opposable thumb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x2)
- Chimpanzees have opposable thumbs and big toes. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x3)
- Opposable thumbs helped early humans to make tools. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x4)
- Koalas have two opposable digits for gripping branches. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x5)
- Pandas have a special bone that works like an opposable thumb. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/#x6)

### note

Adjective, used almost always in «opposable thumb(s)». From «oppose» (to place against). Nothing to do with being against someone.

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «opposable» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/opposable/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.