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forefinger

[fawr-fing-ger, fohr-]
See more synonyms for forefinger on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the first finger next to the thumb.

Origin of forefinger

First recorded in 1400–50, forefinger is from the late Middle English word forefyngure. See fore-, finger
Also called index finger.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for forefinger

digit, pointer

Examples from the Web for forefinger

Contemporary Examples of forefinger

Historical Examples of forefinger

  • And Andy knew that he had the life of a man under the command of his forefinger.

  • To be crushed, as it were, under the tip of a forefinger was an unpleasant experience.

    The Secret Agent

    Joseph Conrad

  • Doctor taps Mr. Dibble on the eyebrow with his forefinger, and away they go.

  • A young Savoyard, eighteen years old, had had his forefinger shot off.

    My Double Life

    Sarah Bernhardt

  • "Now, I'll put you in a corner," forensically shaking a forefinger at him.

    A Tale of Two Cities

    Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for forefinger

forefinger

noun
  1. the finger next to the thumbAlso called: index finger
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for forefinger
n.

mid-15c., from fore- + finger (n.). So called because it is considered the first next to the thumb.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
forefinger in Medicine

forefinger

[fôr′fĭng′gər]
n.
  1. index finger
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.