1. To use artifice or stratagem. Goldsmith.
2. (Whist Playing) To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose
of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to
play.
Finestill
(Fine"still`) v. t. To distill, as spirit from molasses or some saccharine preparation.
Finestiller
(Fine"still`er) n. One who finestills.
Finew
(Fin"ew) n. [See Fenowed.] Moldiness. [R.]
Finfish
(Fin"fish`) n. (Zoöl.) (a) A finback whale. (b) (pl.) True fish, as distinguished from shellfish.
Finfoot
(Fin"foot`) n. (Zoöl.) A South American bird (Heliornis fulica) allied to the grebes. The name is
also applied to several related species of the genus Podica.
Fin-footed
(Fin"-foot`ed), a. (Zoöl.) (a) Having palmate feet. (b) Having lobate toes, as the coot and
grebe.
Finger
(Fin"ger) n. [AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG. fingar, G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. &
Dan. finger, Goth. figgrs; of unknown origin; perh. akin to E. fang.]
1. One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extremities of the hand,
other than the thumb.
2. Anything that does the work of a finger; as, the pointer of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; especially
(Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece, which is brought into contact with an object to effect, direct,
or restrain a motion.
3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth part of the hand; a measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of
finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four and a half inches or one eighth of
a yard.
A piece of steel three fingers thick.
Bp. Wilkins. 4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument. [R.]
She has a good finger.
Busby. Ear finger, the little finger. Finger alphabet. See Dactylology. - - Finger bar, the horizontal
bar, carrying slotted spikes, or fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reaping machines
play. Finger board (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument against which the fingers press the
strings to vary the tone; the keyboard of a piano, organ, etc.; manual. Finger bowl or glass, a bowl
or glass to hold water for rinsing the fingers at table. Finger flower (Bot.), the foxglove. Finger
grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Panicum sanguinale) with slender radiating spikes; common crab grass.
See Crab grass, under Crab. Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut. Finger plate, a strip of
metal, glass, etc., to protect a painted or polished door from finger marks. Finger post, a guide
post bearing an index finger. Finger reading, reading printed in relief so as to be sensible to the
touch; so made for the blind. Finger shell (Zoöl.), a marine shell (Pholas dactylus) resembling
a finger in form. Finger sponge (Zoöl.), a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, or branches.
Finger stall, a cover or shield for a finger. Finger steel, a steel instrument for whetting a currier's
knife.
To burn one's fingers. See under Burn. To have a finger in, to be concerned in. [Colloq.]
To have at one's fingers' ends, to be thoroughly familiar with. [Colloq.]