n. A ring or oval, made of steel with a concave section on the outside, and convex within, used to form the eye in the end of a wire rope when the latter is bent round the ring and the end spliced into the main part.n. 4. A cone of fat-free paper used in a fat-extraction apparatus.n. 5. A cup-shaped metal support for the handle of a tool in dental operations: it rests in the palm of the hand and is attached to a ring on the middle finger.n. 6. plural A trade-name for crude india-rubber from the lower Kongo and Loanda in small balls of a gray color, darker outside.n. An implement used for pushing the needle in sewing, worn on one of the fingers, usually the middle finger of the right hand.n. In mech., a sleeve, skein, tube, bushing, or ferrule used to join the ends of pipes, shafting, etc., or to fill an opening, expand a tube, cover an axle, etc. It is made in a variety of shapes, and is called thimble-joint, thimble-coupling, thimble-skein, etc. See cut under coupling.n. Nautical, an iron or brass ring, concave on the outside so as to fit in a rope, block-strap, cringle, etc., and prevent chafe, as well as to preserve shape; also, an iron ring attached to the end of drag-ropes.