digit

American  

[dij-it] / ˈdɪdʒ ɪt /

noun

• digits
  plural

1. a finger or toe.

2. the breadth of a finger used as a unit of linear measure, usually equal to 3/4 inch (2 centimeters).

3. any of the Arabic figures of 1 through 9 and 0.

4. any of the symbols of other number systems, as 0 or 1 in the binary.

5. index.

6. Astronomy. the twelfth part of the sun's or moon's diameter: used to express the magnitude of an eclipse.

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digit British  

/ ˈdɪdʒɪt /

noun

1. a finger or toe

2. Also called: figure.  any of the ten Arabic numerals from 0 to 9

3. another name for finger

4. astronomy one twelfth of the diameter of the sun or moon, used to express the magnitude of an eclipse

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• digits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of digit

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin digitus “finger, toe”

Explanation

If you want to sound smart, you can refer to your finger, thumb, or toe as a digit. Each of the numbers from 0 to 9 is another kind of digit. Although your pinkie toe may seem to be completely unrelated to the number three, each is a kind of digit. In fact, the practice of calling numbers digits comes from the digits on your hands — specifically, the habit of counting to ten on your fingers. The Latin root word digitus means "finger or toe," and English borrowed from this to mean "number."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

digit digits

WPP forecast like-for-like revenue less pass-through costs to decline by a low to mid-single digit percentage in the second half, following a 4.7% drop in the first.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Instead, the researchers view digit ratio as a possible marker of hormonal exposure during early fetal development.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

Meanwhile, they expect JD Logistics’ organic revenue growth to sustain at a mid-single digit percentage thanks to factors such as stronger performance from its JD Retail business.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

"Dangerous heat is expected to unfold through the weekend with triple digit highs and potential for daily maximum temperature records both days," the service's Weather Prediction Center said Saturday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

Well, we’ve already determined the first digit in our new number, so we can’t pull exactly the same trick, but we can do something just as good.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

A few months later, Mattson, the California-based food developer, gathered a focus group of GLP-1 users who’d lost pounds in the double digits or more since starting the drugs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Friday night will also be the chilliest for quite some time with temperatures widely dropping into single digits.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

There are around a dozen candidates, with those trailing Lula and Bolsonaro polling in the single digits.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

A rule might involve reversing the digits or eliminating numbers above a certain value.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 11, 2026

I don’t tell her the numbers are digits of pi.

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty