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Showing results for index finger. Search instead for index+finger.
Synonyms

index finger

American  

noun

  1. forefinger.

index finger British  

noun

  1. Also called: forefinger.  the finger next to the thumb

"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

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.

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

Stafford, who suffered a sprained right index finger against the Panthers, was not at his best for most of the game against the Bears.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

Stafford, 37, suffered a sprained right index finger Saturday against the Carolina Panthers but still passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception, in the 34-31 wild-card victory.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026

Anyone who has held an infant will recognize the way the tiny hand of the baby Jesus is cradled in his mother’s palm, anchored by her thumb and index finger.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

She takes a seat and twirls the blossom between her thumb and index finger.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

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.