ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finger

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈfɪŋɡɝ// UK //fˈɪŋɡɐ// fin·ger Archaic Dialect General-service Informal Slang Vulgar

n. one of the five long, thin parts on your hand that you use to touch and hold things. Most people have four fingers and a thumb on each hand.

n. one of the five terminal members of the hand, especially one other than the thumb.


SIMPLE

He points his finger at the map.

CONTEXTUAL

She wore a beautiful silver ring on her finger.

COMPLEX

A single, gnarled finger traced the faded lines of the old photograph, stirring memories long dormant.

Synonyms
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.

Idioms18 entries

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