index finger

noun

: the finger next to the thumb

called also forefinger

Examples of index finger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Before Brubaker’s next pitch, rookie catcher Daniel Susac held up a single index finger. Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026 Angels rookie right-hander George Klassen (0-1), making his second big league start, left in the third inning because of a bruised nail on his right index finger. CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026 The most common animal the team found was an organism about the size of a human adult index finger that had a wormlike body and a disk that kept it rooted to the seafloor. Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026 Searching the room for clues, Hole spots a decaying hand arranged on the shelf with the thumb removed and the index finger pointing upwards — to the fifth floor. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for index finger

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of index finger was in 1849

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Index finger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/index%20finger. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

index finger

noun
: the finger next to the thumb

Medical Definition

index finger

noun
: the finger next to the thumb

called also forefinger

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