fingering

American  

[fing-ger-ing] / ˈfɪŋ gər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person who fingers.

2. Music.

   1. the action or method of using the fingers in playing on an instrument.

   2. the indication of the way the fingers are to be used in performing a piece of music.

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fingering ¹ British  

/ ˈfɪŋɡərɪŋ /

noun

1. the technique or art of using one's fingers in playing a musical instrument, esp the piano

2. the numerals in a musical part indicating this

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fingering ² British  

/ ˈfɪŋɡərɪŋ /

noun

1. fine wool for knitting

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Etymology

Origin of fingering

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at finger, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Fingering a jeweled antique timepiece, she displayed it to U.S. television camera crews and warbled in accented English, "It's bea-u-tee-ful."

From Time Magazine Archive

Fingering a 105-year-old rosary that "once belonged to my grandmother," the defendant wept while his lawyer summed up before U.S.

From Time Magazine Archive

Fingering what was left of our money, I wondered how long it would last us.

From "The Bridge Home" by Padma Venkatraman

Fingering the small wire hook on the neatly whitewashed gate which led into a yard that was green, the teacher stopped talking.

From "Sounder" by William H. Armstrong

Fingering this with a kind of repulsion, I soon traced out the oblong shape of a coffin Curiously enough, I was not affected much by the discovery.

From Vendetta: a story of one forgotten by Corelli, Marie