What does "forefinger" mean?

The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.

What is a synonym for "forefinger"?

Common synonyms include: index finger, arrow finger, demonstrator, digit, finger, index.

Pronounced //ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə//.

//ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.
"He touched me on the arm with his forefinger twice or thrice giving a ghastly nod each time:- […]"
2
the finger next to the thumb wordnet

"I burned my forefinger on fire tongs."

Mid-15th century, from Middle English forefyngure; equivalent to fore- + finger.

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