FINFOOT
Fin"foot`, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American bird (heliornis fulica) allied to the grebes.
The name is also applied to several related species of the genus
Podica.
FIN-FOOTED Fin"-foot`ed, a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having palmate feet. (b) Having lobate toes, as the coot and grebe.
FINGER
Fin"ger, n. Etym: [AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG. fingar,
G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. & Dan. finger, Goth. figgrs; of unknown
origin; perh. akin to E. fang.]
1. One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extermities of the hand, other than the thumb.
2. Anything that does work of a finger; as, the pointer of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; especially (Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece, which is brought into contact with an object to effect, direct, or restrain a motion.
3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth part of the hand; a measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four and a half inches or one eighth of a yard. A piece of steel three fingers thick. Bp. Wilkins.
4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical
instrument. [R.]
She has a good finger. Busby.
Ear finger, the little finger.
— Finger alphabet. See Dactylology.
— Finger bar, the horizontal bar, carrying slotted spikes, or
fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reaping
machines play.
— Finger board (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument against
which the fingers press the strings to vary the tone; the keyboard of
a piano, organ, etc.; manual.
— Finger bowl or glass, a bowl or glass to hold water for rinsing
the fingers at table.
— Finger flower (Bot.), the foxglove.
— Finger grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Panicum sanguinale) with
slender radiating spikes; common crab grass. See Crab grass, under
Crab.
— Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut.
— Finger plate, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to protect a painted
or polished door from finger marks.
— Finger post, a guide post bearing an index finger.
— Finger reading, reading printed in relief so as to be sensible to
the touch; — so made for the blind.
— Finger shell (Zoöl.), a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resembling
a finger in form.
— Finger sponge (Zoöl.), a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, or
branches.
— Finger stall, a cover or shield for a finger.
— Finger steel, a steel instrument for whetting a currier's knife.
To burn one's fingers. See under Burn.
— To have a finger in, to be concerned in. [Colloq.] — To have at
one's fingers' ends, to be thoroughly familiar with. [Colloq.]
FINGER
Fin"ger, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fingered; p. pr. & vb. n. Fingering.]
1. To touch with the fingers; to handle; to meddle with. Let the papers lie; You would be fingering them to anger me. Shak.