Fingerspelling

noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The practice of representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands to spell out words. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    an alphabet of manual signs wordnet
  3. 3
    Any system for representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands; a manual alphabet that is a representation of a written alphabet. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A representation of the spelling of a word using such a system. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    present participle and gerund of fingerspell form-of, gerund, participle, present

Synonyms

All synonyms
dactylologydactylologyfinger spellingfinger spelling

Etymology

From finger + spelling.

More for "fingerspelling"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Editorial Guides For "fingerspelling"

Complement vs Compliment: Meaning, Memory Trick, Examples

Stop mixing up complement and compliment with one memory pattern and contextual examples.

Stationary vs Stationery: Avoid a Costly Typo

Use stationary and stationery correctly in business and school writing.

Advice vs Advise: Noun vs Verb in One Minute

Stop mixing up advice and advise in emails, reports, and client communication.

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.