index finger
Americannoun
-
index fingers
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of index finger
First recorded in 1840–50
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.
As if a formidable pale index finger with a square-trimmed nail rewinds the hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Videos show Burke has a tattoo on one of his fingers matching the one reading "Shhh" that the Los Angeles County medical examiner previously revealed was on Celeste's index finger.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
“Making one’s peace with it is not the same as accepting it and being happy with it,” Lindo says, raising an index finger, a gesture he often makes when telling you something he considers important.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
When prenatal estrogen levels are higher relative to testosterone, the index finger tends to be longer than the ring finger.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 10, 2026
Sickler’s, it might be said, was the only restaurant in town where the steaks weren’t “that thick”—thumb and index finger held an inch apart.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
