ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finger

n. · v.
US //ˈfɪŋɡɝ// UK //fˈɪŋɡɐ// fin·ger
  1. 1 part of the hand (n.)
    A1 Beginner Anatomy

    one of the five long, thin parts at the end of your hand.

    any of the five terminal members of the hand, specifically the four digits excluding the thumb, though often used to include all five.

    Example

    She wore a beautiful gold ring on her middle finger.

    Example

    The pianist's fingers moved with incredible speed across the keys during the final movement of the concerto.
  2. 2 a small amount of liquid (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal Cooking

    a small amount of a drink, about the width of a finger in a glass.

    an informal unit of measure for liquids in a glass, approximately equal to the breadth of a finger.

    Example

    He poured himself two fingers of whisky and sat down by the fire.

    Example

    The bartender added a single finger of vermouth to the gin, following the customer's request for an exceptionally dry martini.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 obscene gesture (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Vulgar Slang

    an insulting sign made by holding up your middle finger.

    a vulgar gesture of contempt or defiance made by extending the middle finger.

    Example

    The angry driver gave him the finger after he accidentally cut her off.

    Example

    The protestor was arrested after repeatedly giving the finger to the line of police officers guarding the entrance.

  2. 4 to touch or feel (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to touch or move something around with your fingers.

    to touch, feel, or handle something with the fingers, often idly or curiously.

    Example

    She nervously fingered her necklace while she waited for the interview to start.

    Example

    He stood by the window, absently fingering the velvet curtains as he contemplated the difficult decision ahead.
  3. 5 to identify a criminal (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Slang Law

    to point someone out to the police as the person who did a crime.

    to identify or name a person as a perpetrator to the authorities.

    Example

    The witness fingered the man in the blue jacket as the thief.

    Example

    Under intense interrogation, the suspect eventually fingered his accomplices in exchange for a reduced sentence.
  4. 6 musical technique (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Music

    to choose which fingers to use when playing a musical instrument.

    to use or mark specific finger positions for the execution of notes on a musical instrument.

    Example

    The teacher showed her how to finger the difficult chord on the guitar.

    Example

    The editor had carefully fingered the entire sonata to assist intermediate students with the complex legato passages.

Origin

PIE word *pénkʷe 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.

Word family
Idioms18 entries

© 2026 English Reference