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definitions

trigger finger

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noun

any finger, usually the forefinger, that presses the trigger of a gun.
either forefinger, depending on which hand is dominant.
Pathology. difficulty in straightening or bending a ring finger, caused by inflammation and thickening of its tendon.

Origin of trigger finger

First recorded in 1820–30
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for trigger finger

Historical Examples of trigger finger

  • But even as it did so Peter Champneys's trigger-finger moved.

    The Purple Heights

    Marie Conway Oemler

  • Gripping his revolver hard, his trigger-finger steady, the corporal fired again, and another of his foes fell.

  • The speaker smoothed the barrel of his rifle with mittened hand, which had, however, a trigger-finger free.

    Northern Lights

    Gilbert Parker

  • Suppose that the Carolina trigger-finger slipped, as Hunter had nonchalantly admitted might happen: what then?

  • The brain, head, and eyes and trigger-finger must all work in harmony or you will never be a good shot.

    Outdoor Sports and Games

    Claude H. Miller