Forefynger

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The digit on a hand located beside the thumb, commonly used for pointing and pressing buttons
2. The second finger from the thumb, which people use to point at things or gesture toward them
3. The finger adjacent to the thumb, also known as the index finger, used for pointing and grasping

Etymology: In English, the finger used for pointing has long been called the forefinger, a compound of "fore," meaning front or first, and "finger." The name describes its place in the hand, the finger that comes first in front of the others. Its Latin-derived counterpart, "index," comes from "indicare," "to point out," so the anatomical term and the everyday one both name the finger by what it does. The spelling "forefynger," with a "y" in the second syllable, is an older form of the same word. Spelling was not standardized until the modern era, so writers varied the vowels freely. "Finger" itself goes back to Old English and has cognates in German "Finger" and Dutch "vinger," though its ultimate origin is uncertain.