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.
To their right, a woman raised her hand, jabbing her index finger forward and shouting. Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025 Emerging from that same rock was a gigantic left hand, with a 29-foot, six-inch index finger pointing across the mountains and toward the Pine Ridge Native American Reservation, a longtime home of the Oglala Lakota tribe. New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 What they’re left with Laureano, who suffered a fracture in the index finger of his right hand on a swing in yesterday’s second inning, had cooled considerably after the torrid start to his time with the Padres. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Sep. 2025 He was diagnosed with a bruised right index finger. Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025 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 22 Oct. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on index finger

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!