digit

noun

dig·​it ˈdi-jət How to pronounce digit (audio)
1
a
: any of the Arabic numerals 1 to 9 and usually the symbol 0
b
: one of the elements that combine to form numbers in a system other than the decimal system
c
digits plural, slang : the digits of a telephone number
At the end of the meal, the pair discussed wanting to see the Dupont Underground art exhibit, and that's when Scott smoothly asked for her digits and said they should go.Vijai Nathan
2
: a unit of length based on the breadth of a finger and equal in English measure to 3/4 inch
3
: any of the divisions in which the limbs of most vertebrates terminate, which are typically five in number but may be reduced (as in the horse), and which typically have a series of phalanges bearing a nail, claw, or hoof at the tip compare finger sense 1, toe sense 1a

Examples of digit in a Sentence

a three-digit number like 507 She suffered several broken digits.
Recent Examples on the Web Coupled with winds, the humidity could dip to low digits with temperatures in the high 70s. Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 19 Oct. 2024 Pressing it removes the last digit from your input: 48.375 becomes 48.37, then 48.3, and so on. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024 Dangerous, record-breaking heat is ongoing in the West, with the temperature in Phoenix reaching the triple digits every day for the last three weeks. Daniel Amarante, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2024 San Jose also tied a record for the number of consecutive days that the temperature broke 100 degrees in October, with the three days of Oct. 1 through Oct. 3 all hitting triple digits, Sarment said. Caelyn Pender, The Mercury News, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for digit 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'digit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, "whole number less than ten, Arabic figure used to represent it," borrowed from Latin digitus "finger, toe, finger's breadth as a measure" (Medieval Latin also "whole number less than ten"), of uncertain origin

Note: The Latin word digitus has long been associated with the base *deik-evident in dīcere "to talk, speak" and related words descended from Indo-European *dei̯ḱ- "show, point out" (see diction), though explanations for the voicing of the velar stop, as remote assimilation or dissimilation, are difficult to sustain. Ernout and Meillet (Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue latine) suggest a connection with a root *dei̯g-, taken to be a variant of *dei̯ḱ- and reflected in Gothic taikns "sign," etc. (see token entry 1, teach), but more recent thinking (as G. Kroonen, Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic) trace the Germanic etymon directly to *dei̯ḱ-. Digitus hence remains without a certain etymology. Compare dactyl, toe entry 1.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of digit was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near digit

Cite this Entry

“Digit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/digit. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

digit

noun
dig·​it ˈdij-ət How to pronounce digit (audio)
1
a
: any of the Arabic numerals 1 to 9 and usually the symbol 0
b
: one of the elements that are used to form numbers in a system other than the decimal system
2
: a finger or toe
Etymology

Middle English digit "numeral," from Latin digitus "finger, toe"

Medical Definition

digit

noun
dig·​it ˈdij-ət How to pronounce digit (audio)
: any of the divisions (as a finger or toe) in which the limbs of amphibians and all higher vertebrates including humans terminate, which are typically five in number but may be reduced (as in the horse), and which typically have a series of phalanges bearing a nail, claw, or hoof at the tip

More from Merriam-Webster on digit

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