finger

FING-gur/ˈfɪŋɡəɹ/UKFING-guh/ˈfɪŋɡə/

Pluralfingers

Verbfingers, fingering, fingered

39 meanings of finger

Practice

1
nouncountable
One of the long parts at the end of your hand, usually not your thumb, or a similar part on an animal.
She wore a thin gold ring on her finger.
He pointed at the map with one finger.
UsageSometimes the thumb is a finger and sometimes not: ten fingers, or a thumb and four fingers.
Similardigit
2
rude gesturenouncountable
A rude gesture made by raising the middle finger at someone.
He gave the other driver the finger after being cut off.
She flashed the finger at the referee and got ejected.
UsageUsually in give someone the finger.
Similarbird
3
name as guiltyverbtransitive
To name a person or thing as the one to blame, often by telling the police about someone.
Several witnesses finger the same man as the robber.
The report fingered two managers for the missing money.
UsageSay finger someone as the one who did it, or for the problem.
Similaridentify, accuse, implicate, name
Note
4
nounfigurativelycountable
Something that points to who is guilty or to blame.
Like an arrow that points straight at the person who did it.
The finger of blame quickly fell on the night manager.
After the leak, the finger of suspicion turned to the intern.
UsageUsed in the finger of blame or the finger of suspicion, which points at someone.
Note
5
strip of foodnouncountable
A long, thin piece of food shaped like a finger.
She dipped a chicken finger into the sauce.
She fried crispy zucchini fingers for a snack.
UsageSay the food first: fish fingers, chicken fingers.
Similarstick, strip
Note
6
verbtransitive
To press the strings or keys with your fingers in a set way to play notes.
Beginners often finger the wrong notes at first.
She fingered the chord cleanly on her first try.
Similarplay
Note
7
stick-like piecenouncountable
A long, thin piece of something, shaped like a finger, such as a strip of land.
Like one chocolate stick broken off from a bar.
The candle burned down to a small finger of wax.
The village sits on a thin finger of land between two rivers.
Similarstick, strip
Note
8
mechanical gripnouncountable
A part of a machine that works like a finger to touch, hold, guide, or separate things.
Like the grabber arm on a claw machine that reaches down to pick something up.
A metal finger on the machine pushes each bottle into its place.
Two rubber fingers on the machine grab each bottle and lift it.
Similarprong, claw
Note

Less common meanings

9
touchverbtransitive
To touch, poke, or feel something with a finger.
Shoppers often finger the fabric before buying it.
She fingered the lock, searching for the keyhole.
UsageUse it with things: finger the cloth. With a person, it can sound sexual.
Similartouch, feel, handle, stroke, caress
Note
10
glove partnouncountable
The part of a glove that covers one finger.
A hole had worn through the finger of her wool glove.
The knitter dropped a stitch in one glove finger.
11
touch sexuallyverbvulgartransitive
To touch or put fingers inside your own or another person's private parts for sexual pleasure.
She fingered her partner gently in the dark.
He asked quietly whether he could finger her.
Note
12
nounvulgarcountable
A sexual act where someone puts a finger inside another person's private parts.
Note
13
drink measurenouncountable
An amount of a drink that is as tall in the glass as a finger is wide.
He poured himself a finger of whiskey.
She asked for two fingers of rum in her glass.
UsageSay two fingers of whiskey.
Similarshot, measure, dram, tot, nip
Note
14
single banananouncountable
A long part that sticks out from a plant, like one banana on a bunch.
Each finger on the banana bunch was still green.
She pulled a ripe finger off the bunch of bananas.
Note
15
wing bonenouncountable
One of the long parts that hold up a bat's wing, or one of the small ones in a bird's wing.
A bat's wing stretches across several long fingers.
Each finger in the wing supports the thin flight membrane.
Similardigit
Note
16
verbtransitive
To mark written music to show which fingers should play each note.
Before the lesson, she fingered the hard parts of the music in pencil.
Teachers often finger new music to show students which fingers to use.
Similarannotate, mark
Note
17
claw partnouncountable
Either of the two parts of a crab's or lobster's claw that close together to grip things.
The crab's claw closed as its finger pressed against the thumb.
Both fingers of the lobster's claw were thick and powerful.
18
jet bridgenouncountable
A long covered walkway that joins a plane to the airport building.
Like a covered bridge that reaches out from the airport to the plane's door.
Passengers walked down the finger to board the plane.
The finger was still attached to the aircraft door.
Similarjetway, airbridge, gangway
19
small piernounabbreviationclipping
Clipping of finger pier. It means a short, narrow pier that sticks out from a larger dock.
We tied the boat to the finger nearest the fuel dock.
The marina's fingers were crowded with sailboats all summer.
Note
20
lab tubenouncountable
A narrow tube that reaches out of or into a closed container in a lab.
Vapor escaped through the glass finger at the top of the flask.
They chilled the cold finger to collect the condensing gas.
Note
21
fish feelernouncountable
One of the thin, bony feelers in front of the side fins on certain fish.
The fish dragged one bony finger slowly through the sand.
The sea robin uses its fingers to feel for food on the seafloor.
Similarray
22
pickpocketnouncolloquialcountable
A person who is clever with their hands, especially a pickpocket.
Similarpickpocket, dip, thief
23
person (slang)nounslangUKcountable
A casual or slang way to refer to a person.
Similarcharacter, customer, type, bloke, guy
Note
24
verb
To check another computer user's status by using the Finger program.
25
noun
In computing, a saved place in a data structure that lets a program quickly reach the items near it.
26
noun
One of the separate receivers in a rake receiver that picks up parts of a radio signal.
27
nounobsoleteUK
The foxglove, a tall plant with purple flowers shaped like bells.
28
nounobsolete
A section of the liver, an organ in the belly.
29
noun
A long wooden prong on a scythe that catches the cut grain.
30
nounobsolete
A hand on a clock.
31
nounobsoleteUS
A cop, or someone who guards people in jail.
32
nounslangUS
A person who tells the police who did a crime.
33
nounslangUS
A lawbreaker who spies out victims and places ahead of a crime.
34
noun
An old measure about as wide as a finger.
a piece of steel three fingers thick
1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical Magick
35
noun
An old measure of length equal to 4.5 inches, based on a middle finger.
36
noun
A twelfth of the sun's or moon's width, used for eclipses.
37
nounobsolete
The ability to move your fingers well, especially when playing music.
A performer capable of doing justice to rapid or expressive passages, is said to have a good finger
1786, Thomas Busby, Musical Dictionary
38
verbobsolete
To take what is not yours.
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,
c. 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”
39
verbobsolete
To do careful, delicate work with the hands.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of finger apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Old English "finger" and probably goes back to an old root meaning "five."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

English finger comes from Old English finger. en.wikipedia.org
The word probably ultimately derives from a root meaning five. en.wikipedia.org