- fin‧ger [countable]
- 1
part of your hand
one of the four long thin parts on your hand, not including your thumb : The woman had a ring on her finger, so I assumed she was married.
- run your fingers through/over/along etc something
- Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
2 cross your fingers
ReplyDeletea) to hope that something will happen the way you want:
We're keeping our fingers crossed that she's going to be OK.
b) to secretly put one finger over another finger, because you are telling a lie - done especially by children:
'He's nice,' said Laura, crossing her fingers under the table.
3 not lift/raise a finger to not make any effort to help someone with their work:
I do all the work around the house - Frank never lifts a finger.
4 put your finger on something to know or be able to explain exactly what is wrong, different, or unusual about a situation:
There was something about the man that worried Wycliffe, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
5 not lay a finger on somebody to not hurt someone at all, especially not to hit them:
If you so much as lay a finger on me, I'll call the police!
6 have/keep your finger on the pulse (of something) to always know about the most recent changes or developments in a particular situation or activity:
people with their finger on the pulse of fashion and pop culture
7 have a finger in every pie/ in many pies to be involved in many activities and to have influence over a lot of people, used especially when you think someone has too much influence
8 twist/wrap/wind somebody around your little finger to be able to persuade someone to do anything that you want:
Ed could wrap his mother around his little finger.
9 the finger of blame/suspicion
The finger of suspicion immediately fell on Broderick.
10of a glove the part of a glove that covers your finger
11shaped like a finger anything that is long and thin, like the shape of a finger, especially a piece of land, an area of water, or a piece of food:
fish fingers
chocolate fingers
finger of
the long finger of Chile
12 pull/get your finger out British English informal used to tell someone to work harder
13 put two fingers up at somebody British English informal to show someone you are angry with them in a very offensive way by holding up your first two fingers with the back of your hand facing them
14 give somebody the finger American English informal to show someone you are angry with them in a very offensive way by holding up your middle finger with the back of your hand facing them
15 be all fingers and thumbs British English to use your hands in an awkward or careless way, so that you drop or break things
16 long-fingered/slim-fingered etc having long fingers, slim fingers etc:
lovely long-fingered hands
17drink an amount of an alcoholic drink that is as high in the glass as the width of someone's finger:
two fingers of whiskey
➔ butterfingers, fish finger ; ➔ have your hands/fingers in the till at till2 (3) ; ➔ count something on the fingers of one hand at count1 (7) ; ➔ have green fingers at green1 (10) ; ➔ burn your fingers/get your fingers burnt at burn1 (16) ; ➔ point the/a finger at somebody at point2 (9) ; ➔ let something slip through your fingers at slip1 (15) ; ➔ snap your fingers at snap1 (7) ; ➔ have sticky fingers at sticky (6) ; ➔ work your fingers to the bone at work1 (29)