finger
pronunciation
How to pronounce finger in British English:
UK [ˈfɪŋɡə(r)]
How to pronounce finger in American English:
US [ˈfɪŋɡər]
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- Noun:
- any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)
- the length of breadth of a finger used as a linear measure
- the part of a glove that provides a covering for one of the fingers
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- Verb:
- feel or handle with the fingers
- examine by touch
- search for on the computer
- indicate the fingering for the playing of musical scores for keyboard instruments
Word Origin
- finger
- finger: [OE] Widespread among the Germanic languages (German, Swedish, and Danish all have finger, and Dutch vinger), finger is not found in any other branch of Indo-European. It is usually referred to a prehistoric Indo-European ancestor *pengkrós ‘number of five’, a derivative (like fist) of *pengke ‘five’.=> fist, five
- finger (n.)
- "terminal or digital member of the hand" (in a restricted sense not including the thumb), Old English finger, fingor "finger," from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (cognates: Old Saxon fingar, Old Frisian finger, Old Norse fingr, Dutch vinger, German Finger, Gothic figgrs "finger"), with no cognates outside Germanic; perhaps connected with PIE *penkwe-, the root meaning "five." As a unit of measure for liquor and gunshot (late Old English) it represents the breadth of a finger, about three-quarters of an inch. They generally are numbered from the thumb outward, and named index finger, fool's finger, leech- or physic-finger, and ear-finger.
- finger (v.)
- early 15c., "to touch or point to with the finger" (but see fingering (n.1) from late 14c.), from finger (n.). Sense of "play upon a musical instrument" is from 1510s. Meaning "touch or take thievishly" is from 1520s. The meaning "identify a criminal" is underworld slang first recorded 1930. Related: Fingered; fingering. Compare Dutch vingeren, German fingern, Swedish fingra, all from their respective nouns.
Synonym
Example
- 1. I need a crane to lift my finger .
- 2. Capitalism giving us a scaly , taloned middle finger .
- 3. Republicans in congress haven 't lifted a finger .
- 4. Mr netanyahu is right to finger hamas and iran as determined spoilers .
- 5. You should be able to get one finger under the straps to prevent them from digging into your shoulders .