finger

fin|ger¹ W2S2 [ˈfıŋgə US -ər] n

↑finger, ↑fingernail, ↑thumb

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1¦(part of your hand)¦

2 cross your fingers

3 not lift/raise a finger

4 put your finger on something

5 not lay a finger on somebody

6 have/keep your finger on the pulse (of something)

7 have a finger in every pie/ in many pies

8 twist/wrap/wind somebody around your little finger

9 the finger of blame/suspicion

10¦(of a glove)¦

11¦(shaped like a finger)¦

12 pull/get your finger out

13 put two fingers up at somebody

14 give somebody the finger

15 be all fingers and thumbs

16 long-fingered/slim-fingered etc

17¦(drink)¦

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[: Old English;]

1.) ¦(PART OF YOUR HAND)¦

one of the four long thin parts on your hand, not including your thumb

▪ The woman had a ring on her finger, so I assumed she was married.

▪ We ate with our fingers.

run your fingers through/over/along etc sth

▪ She ran her fingers through his hair.

2.) cross your fingers

a) to hope that something will happen the way you want

▪ We're keeping our fingers crossed that she's going to be OK.

b) to secretly put one finger over another finger, because you are telling a lie - done especially by children

▪ 'He's nice,' said Laura, crossing her fingers under the table.

3.) not lift/raise a finger

to not make any effort to help someone with their work

▪ I do all the work around the house - Frank never lifts a finger.

4.) put your finger on sth

to know or be able to explain exactly what is wrong, different, or unusual about a situation

▪ There was something about the man that worried Wycliffe, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

5.) not lay a finger on sb

to not hurt someone at all, especially not to hit them

▪ If you so much as lay a finger on me, I'll call the police!

6.) have/keep your finger on the pulse (of sth)

to always know about the most recent changes or developments in a particular situation or activity

▪ people with their finger on the pulse of fashion and pop culture

7.) have a finger in every pie/ in many pies

to be involved in many activities and to have influence over a lot of people, used especially when you think someone has too much influence

8.) twist/wrap/wind sb around your little finger

to be able to persuade someone to do anything that you want

▪ Ed could wrap his mother around his little finger.

9.) the finger of blame/suspicion

▪ The finger of suspicion immediately fell on Broderick.

10.)¦(OF A GLOVE)¦

the part of a ↑glove that covers your finger

11.) ¦(SHAPED LIKE A FINGER)¦

anything that is long and thin, like the shape of a finger, especially a piece of land, an area of water, or a piece of food

▪ fish fingers

▪ chocolate fingers

finger of

▪ the long finger of Chile

12.) pull/get your finger out

BrE informal used to tell someone to work harder

13.) put two fingers up at sb

BrE informal to show someone you are angry with them in a very offensive way by holding up your first two fingers with the back of your hand facing them

14.) give sb the finger

AmE informal to show someone you are angry with them in a very offensive way by holding up your middle finger with the back of your hand facing them

15.) be all fingers and thumbs

BrE to use your hands in an awkward or careless way, so that you drop or break things

16.) long-fingered/slim-fingered etc

having long fingers, slim fingers etc

▪ lovely long-fingered hands

17.) ¦(DRINK)¦

an amount of an alcoholic drink that is as high in the glass as the width of someone's finger

▪ two fingers of whiskey

→↑butterfingers, ↑fish finger,have your hands/fingers in the till at ↑till² (3), count sth on the fingers of one hand at ↑count¹ (7), have green fingers at ↑green¹ (10), burn your fingers/get your fingers burnt at ↑burn¹ (16), point the/a finger at sb at ↑point² (9), let sth slip through your fingers at ↑slip¹ (15), snap your fingers at ↑snap¹ (7), have sticky fingers at ↑sticky, work your fingers to the bone at ↑work¹ (29)

finger ²

finger² v [T]

1.) to touch or handle something with your fingers

▪ She fingered the beautiful cloth with envy.

2.) informal if someone, especially a criminal, fingers another criminal, they tell the police what they have done