trigger finger

noun

1. any finger, usually the forefinger, that presses the trigger of a gun.

2. either forefinger, depending on which hand is dominant.

3. Pathology.,  difficulty in straightening or bending a ring finger, caused by inflammation and thickening of its tendon.

Word History and Origins

Origin of trigger finger¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

In court papers, both sides described bump stocks as an add-on to a rifle that uses recoil to “bump” the gun back into the trigger finger of the shooter — firing faster than usual.

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That definition rested on a single pull of the trigger, not of the trigger finger, the majority of the court wrote.

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Most of its one-hour run time is devoted to the toasts, whose lewd and heroic narrators include Shine, the sole Black survivor of the Titanic; Signifying Monkey, the trickster of the jungle; and Stagger Lee, an outlaw with an eager trigger finger.

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Now dealing with an injury to what is literally his trigger finger, Herbert is looking at trying to come back for a team that is 5-8 and all but mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

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A shooter must maintain constant forward pressure on the weapon with the non-shooting hand and constant pressure on the trigger with the trigger finger, according to court records.

Read more on Seattle Times