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to finger

to finger

31 2.8
To touch something with your fingers in a careful or curious way
  • verb
  • /ˈfɪŋɡər/
translation icon : tocar
  • Jefferson self-consciously fingered the red ribbon of the medal hanging around his neck.

Examples

  • Zach surveyed the cardboard carton, fingered the metal banding around the top.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "And there's something else," Wendy added, fingering the pin at her throat.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Frowning, he reached out to finger the tabletop, but pulled his hand back.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • One slim hand reached up to finger the curious necklace as Larissa considered Willen's actions.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • When I looked around, she was fingering her amber beads as though she found comfort in touching them.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "Word to the wise," he said, as he nervously fingered the ends of his mustache.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The Patriarch reached out to the wall beside him, fingered the edge of a rotting tapestry.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She gently fingered the pages of the old book, tracing the faded words.

  • He fingered the necklace thoughtfully, trying to remember where he had seen it before.

  • While waiting, I fingered the fabric of the dress, admiring its texture.

Synonyms

to feel
vsto finger
2.3

To use your hands to find something when you cannot see it

is more about deliberate handling with digits for curiosity rather than searching blind
to handle
vsto finger
328 1.0

Touch or hold something with your hands, often carefully

is narrower in focus on deliberate curious use of digits not skillful hand control
to tap
vsto finger
174 1.0

To touch or hit something lightly to get attention

is more about deliberate curious handling with digits rather than brief light hits
to brush
vsto finger
133 1.6

To touch something lightly while passing by

is about deliberate curious touching rather than quick passing contact
to pick at
vsto finger
5 3.8

Pull at something with your fingers again and again, often nervously

is more about deliberate curious touching rather than nervous repeated pulling
to thumb
vsto finger
4 3.7

To move or touch something using the short, thick finger at the side of the hand

is broader meaning deliberate touch using more than one digit rather than one
to pluck at
vsto finger
3 6.1

To pull lightly and repeatedly at something with your fingers

is broader meaning deliberate curious touching rather than repeated pulling or tugging

Antonyms

1.0

To stay away from something or not do it to stop something bad from happening

Idioms

to lift a finger
  • Informal
27 5.1

To make no effort to help

4 6.3

Being ready to act quickly when a chance or danger appears

To make someone do what you want by charming them

1 8.6

Having a very strong taste that makes you want to eat every last bit

1 8.7

To check what people think before you decide

9.9

A sudden change that breaks your plans, often causing trouble

7.2

To have a part in something and some control

to get the finger
  • Offensive
9.7

Receive a rude hand gesture when someone raises their middle finger

To take part in many different activities at once

To start working hard after not doing much

To start trying much harder after being lazy

8.3

To show anger or insult someone by lifting the middle finger

Phrasal Verbs

Find the exact reason for something hard to explain

To put paint on paper using your fingers

To move your finger side to side to show you are not pleased

To start working or trying harder after putting things off

Compounds

32 1.0

A finger next to the thumb used for pointing or pressing

finger-pointing
  • Informal
18 4.6

Blaming other people for a problem instead of trying to fix it

13 1.0

The smallest finger on the hand that is farthest from the thumb

10 1.0

The finger between the middle finger and little finger where people often wear wedding rings

7 1.8

Food that you eat with your fingers

The finger between the index and ring fingers on the hand

middle finger
  • Offensive
7 5.0

A rude hand sign made by raising the finger in the middle to insult someone

2 1.0

A long thin piece of fish covered in breadcrumbs and fried or baked

finger bowl
  • Archaic
2 7.0

A small bowl of water for rinsing fingers between courses

sticky-finger
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A person who often steals small things

finger paint
  • Baby Talk
1 1.8

A soft colored paste children use with their fingers to make pictures

An act of stealing small items from a shop, often said as a joke

fat finger
  • Jargon
1 7.9

A mistake you make by pressing the wrong key or button

A pair of small metal discs worn on the fingers and tapped to make a bright ring used in dance

1 2.8

A hole for a finger that helps you hold or move something

1 3.7

A region of long narrow lakes in central New York that run north to south

finger-roll
  • Jargon
1 7.2

A basketball shot made near the basket by rolling the ball off the fingertips

1 8.4

A strong urge to act quickly without thinking

6.6

Hand signs that show the letters of the alphabet for people who are deaf

A small hand tool for making tiny holes in material like jewelry

finger grass
  • Specialized
8.0

A common grass that often grows as a weed in fields and lawns

finger hole
  • Specialized
4.8

A hole on a wind instrument like a flute covered or uncovered by your finger to change the note

finger millet
  • Indian
7.0

A cereal plant from Asia and Africa with small seeds used to make flour

finger-flower
  • Archaic
9.9

A tall plant with large pink-purple tube flowers whose leaves are poisonous but make heart medicine

6.3

A flat plate on a door that protects the paint from finger marks

finger scan
  • Specialized
3.5

A way to identify a person by using a machine that reads the patterns on their fingertip

finger scanning
  • Specialized
3.8

To use a person's fingerprints to check who they are

A way to show each letter of the alphabet using hand signs

A small greeting or goodbye made by moving the fingers

A way of painting using fingers to spread paint or a picture done that way

A plant with a five-petaled flower that people use in home herbal remedies

A simple practice using all five fingers to improve their speed and control

4.2

A vegetable plant that makes long green pods used in soups and stews, also called okra

A grass from Europe grown for hay and often a weed in fields

A hand signal made by raising three fingers to show protest or support

A long thin delicate finger that looks like a spider's leg

How Gentle

to brush
133 1.6
to finger
31 2.8
poke
4 2.5
to squeeze
119 1.6
to grab
1.0

Surface Forms

finger infinitive
fingered past
fingered past participle
fingering present participle
fingers third person singular

Etymology

Finger meaning 'to touch' comes from the noun and originally meant to handle something with your fingers, which is why it still means to touch or feel something by hand.