noun
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the technique or art of using one's fingers in playing a musical instrument, esp the piano
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the numerals in a musical part indicating this
noun
Etymology
Origin of fingering
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; finger, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I tend now to play parts of chords, rather than fingering the whole damn thing. I use these shortcuts that would be a nightmare for a guitar teacher."
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2023
She had a leopard scarf elegantly wrapped around her head and was fingering a glittering ring and staring blankly into the distance.
From Reuters • Feb. 7, 2023
He looked away, fingering a frayed edge of the carpet.
From Salon • Dec. 15, 2022
“I am worried and upset all the time. Everyone in this country is upset,” Hussain said, fingering prayer beads nonstop.
From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022
The lake had been formed and dug to a uniform depth of nine feet, with small wooden boat docks fingering out from its waterless shores where the most desirable concrete slabs had been poured.
From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.