finger food

noun

plural finger foods

: a food that is meant to be picked up with the fingers and eaten

Finger foods like apple wedges and strawberries dipped in yogurt make an excellent snack for both parent and child.

—The Knoxville (Tennessee) News-Sentinel

Mashed potatoes are not a finger food.

—Erma Bombeck

Examples of finger food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The food shies away from the typical — no crab rangoon here — for finger foods that harken to cuisines outside the South Pacific, like Jamaican style jerk shrimp skewers ($18) and salmon ceviche ($16). —Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Sausage balls are a favorite Southern finger food. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026

Toasted hemp seeds are ideal for snackers looking for a healthier alternative to potato chips and other salty finger food. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026

For example, a traditional caprese salad can be transformed into finger foods by alternating cherry tomatoes, chunks of mozzarella and leaves of basil on skewers. —Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for finger food

• altitude
• amplitude
• aptitude
• attitude
• barbecued
• certitude
• desuetude
• devalued
• finitude
• fortitude
• gratitude
• interlude

Kids Definition

finger food

noun

: a food (as a carrot stick) that is meant to be picked up with the fingers and eaten