Etimology
From Middle English fynger, finger, from Old English finger (“finger”), from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (“finger”), from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós, from *pénkʷe (“five”). Compare West Frisian finger, Low German/German Finger, Dutch vinger, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish finger; also Old Armenian հինգեր-որդ (hinger-ord, “fifth”). More at five.
noun
finger (plural fingers)
(anatomy) A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb.
(zoology) Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals, particularly:
Something similar in shape to the human finger, particularly:
Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body, particularly:
Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
(units of measure) Various units of measure based or notionally based on the adult human finger, particularly
(fashion) A part of a glove intended to cover a finger.
(informal, obsolete) Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument.
(informal, rare) Someone skilled in the use of their fingers, (especially) a pickpocket.
(UK slang) A person.
(especially in the phrase 'give someone the finger') An obscene or insulting gesture made by raising one's middle finger towards someone with the palm of one's hand facing inwards.
(radio) Any of the individual receivers used in a rake receiver to decode signal components.
(vulgar) The act of fingering, inserting a finger into someone's vagina or rectum for sexual pleasure.
Examples
Humans have two hands and ten fingers. Each hand has one thumb and four fingers.
[M]aking a Cut here big enough to put her Finger in, which ſhe thruſts under the Guts, and with it rakes or tears out the Stone that lies neareſt to it.
Each finger extended represents one-eighth of a cent. Thus when all four fingers and the thumb are extended, all being spread out from one another, it means five-eighths.
In 1993 [Victor Candia] noticed that the fingers of his left hand were starting to curl up as he played [on his guitar]. It felt to him as if a magnet in his palm were preventing him from opening them. A week later, he could not play at all.
The starfish eats with five fingers.
...spires whose ‘silent finger points to Heaven’...
chocolate fingers; fish fingers; cheese fingers
By now, we hope you have said “no” to processed nuggets and fingers. Instead, how about taking some real chicken, tossing it with real eggs, a little tangy mustard, and a crunchy quinoa coating?
An oven is placed over the finger with Co catalyst , and a cold finger is placed on the other tube.
a finger of land; a finger of smoke
The Magicians said vnto Pharaoh; This is the finger of God.
The finger of suspicion pointed clearly at the hotel manager.
a piece of steel three fingers thick
Gimme three fingers of bourbon.
A performer capable of doing justice to rapid or expressive passages, is said to have a good finger
Related words
synonyms
(anatomy): See Thesaurus:finger
(zoology): toe (when on four legs); claw, talon (usually sharp)
(finger-shaped objects): tendril (in plants)
(airport walkway): See jet bridge
(finger width): See digit
(slang for police informer): See Thesaurus:informant
(skill with the fingers): fingering technique; touch
(British slang for person): bloke, lad, boy, guv
hyponyms
(anatomy): index finger, forefinger; middle finger; ring finger; little finger, pinkie; thumb, hallux
verb
finger (third-person singular simple present fingers, present participle fingering, simple past and past participle fingered)
(transitive) To identify or point out; to blame for something.
(transitive) To report to or identify for the authorities; to inform on.
(transitive) To poke, probe, feel, or fondle with a finger or fingers.
(transitive, sex) To use the fingers to penetrate or sexually stimulate one's own or another person's vulva, vagina, or anus.
(transitive, music) To use specified finger positions in producing notes on a musical instrument.
(transitive, music) To provide instructions in written music as to which fingers are to be used to produce particular notes or passages.
(transitive, Internet) To query (a user's status) using the Finger protocol.
(obsolete) To steal; to purloin.
(transitive, obsolete) To execute, as any delicate work.
Examples
This makes it quite difficult to finger specific gene variants, since any one variant contributes only tiny effects.
I'm rose-tinting my teenage years, for sure, but Twenge isn't the only generational-change researcher to finger the ubiquitous smartphone for contributing to higher rates of teen depression and anxiety.
Synonyms: put the finger on, rat on, rat out, squeal on, tattle on, turn in; see also Thesaurus:rat out
Goe, get you gone: and let the papers lye: / You would be fingring them, to anger me.
"They have done a foolish thing," said I, fingering my wineglass.
Alladad Khan, left alone, dandled unhandily his child in unfatherly arms. He wanted to finger his moustache, but could not.
Feeling tender around the face, she fingered herself gingerly. Yes, it was swollen, very sore around the cheekbones, with dried blood on the outsides of her eye sockets, below her nostrils, and below one ear.
Synonyms: fingerbang, fingerfuck
She fingered him, spreading the gel and sliding the tip of her finger inside him.
She smiled, a look of amazement on her face, as if thinking that maybe this was the cock that she had been fantasizing about just now, as she fingered herself to a massive, body-engulfing orgasm.
There is also a hot-link to "finger" the guys at id to see what they're working on next (John Carmack, John Cash […]
PGP mail welcome .
in the dark / Grop'd I to finde out them; had my desire, / Finger'd their Packet, and in fine, withdrew / To mine owne roome againe,