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Finn, Huckleberry
works: He was caught with his fingers in the till and dismissed. 8 keep one's fingers crossed infml to hope: We must just keep our fingers crossed that the weather will stay fine for our picnic tomorrow. 9 lay a finger on (usually in negatives) to harm; touch, even slightly: It's not my fault - I never laid a finger on her! 10 lift/raise a finger (usually in negatives) to make any effort to help when necessary: He was the only one who lifted a finger to help the victims. 11 pull/take/get one's finger out BrE infml to start working hard; make an effort 12 put one's finger on infml to find or show exactly (the cause of trouble): Something's wrong with this room, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is. 13 put two fingers up at BrE infml to move the first two fingers of the hand upwards in the direction of someone with whom one is angry, in an extremely offensive way 14 -fingered /fɪŋgəd||-ɜːrd/ a) having the stated number or kind of fingers: three-fingered | long-fingered b) using the stated number of fingers: two-fingered typing → see also BUTTERFINGERS, GREEN FINGERS, burn one's fingers (BURN¹), point the finger (POINT²), twist someone round one's little finger (TWIST¹)
finger² v [T] 1 to feel or handle with one's fingers: She fingered the rich silk enviously. 2 [+obj+adv/prep] to perform (a piece of music) with the correct or stated fingers: How do you finger this piece? 3 ([to]) infml, especially AmE to point out, especially as being a criminal: He fingered the other members of the gang to the police.
fin·ger·board /'fɪŋgəbɔːd||-gərbɔːrd/ n the part of a stringed musical instrument against which the fingers press the strings in order to vary the note
'finger bowl n a small basin in which someone can wash their fingers before and after a meal
CULTURAL NOTE In Britain and the US, finger bowls are only used on formal occasions when people are eating food which is eaten with the fingers.
fin·ger·ing /'fɪŋgərɪŋ/ n [U] the use or position of the fingers when playing a musical instrument: The fingering is difficult in this piece.
fin·ger·lick·in' good /ˌfɪŋgəlɪkɪn 'gʊd||-gər-/ adj a phrase used in advertisements for Kentucky Fried Chicken
fin·ger·mark /'fɪŋgəmɑːk||-gərmɑːrk/ n a mark made by dirty or sticky fingers on something clean: Who's put greasy fingermarks all over my clean table?
fin·ger·nail /'fɪŋgəneɪl||-gər-/ n the hard flat piece that covers the top of the end of a finger: long/painted fingernails | She bit her fingernails nervously.
'finger·paint v [I;T] to paint on paper using the fingers, usually done by children: Children love to finger-paint. —ing n [C;U] Finger-painting and drawing with crayons are often a child's first introduction to art. | a child's finger-painting
fin·ger·plate /'fɪŋgəpleɪt||-gər-/ n a metal or glass plate that is fastened to a door near the handle or keyhole, to keep off dirty fingermarks
'finger-pointing n [U] the practice of blaming other people for something that has gone wrong, instead of trying to solve the problem
fin·ger·print¹ /'fɪŋgəprɪnt||-gər-/ n 1 (a mark made by) the pattern of lines on the bottom of the end of a finger, as used in the discovery of crime: Her fingerprints on the handle proved she'd been there. | The police took his fingerprints by pressing his fingertips onto an inked pad. 2 a mark or pattern that makes each one different or recognizable: The graph of a patient with heart disease has its own particular fingerprint. → see picture at PRINT¹
fingerprint² v [T] to take (someone's) fingerprints
fin·ger·stall /'fɪŋgəstɔːl||-gər-/ also stall BrE || splint AmE — n a cover for a hurt finger
fin·ger·tip¹ /'fɪŋgətɪp||-gər-/ n 1 the end of a finger 2 have something at one's fingertips to have a complete and ready knowledge of something: You'd better ask David - he's got the whole subject at his fingertips. 3 to the/one's fingertips especially BrE completely; in all ways: He's British to his fingertips.
fingertip² adj [A no comp.] near and easy to reach: fingertip information/controls
fin·i·cky /'fɪnɪki/ adj infml 1 too concerned about unimportant details, small likes and dislikes etc; FUSSY: Eat up your spaghetti and don't be so finicky! 2 needing delicate attention to detail: It's a very finicky job to get all these little bones out of the fish.
fin·ish¹ /'fɪnɪʃ/ v 1 [I;T] to come or bring to an end; reach the end of (an action or activity): What time does the concert finish? | When do you finish your college course? | He interrupted her before she had finished what she was saying. | The building is still only half-finished. | [+v-ing] Could I borrow that book when you've finished reading it? 2 [T] a) [(OFF)] to put the last details to (something that one has made): I must finish (off) this dress I'm making. I'm just giving it the last finishing touches. b) to provide with a final polish or coat of paint etc: Wood which has not been finished is still rough. 3 [T(UP, OFF)] to eat or drink the rest of: The cat will finish (up) the fish. | Let's finish (off) the wine. 4 [+adv/prep] to arrive or end (in the stated place or way): 'Where did you finish in the 100 metres?' 'I finished first.' (=I won) | The party finished with a song. 5 [T(OFF)] infml to take all one's strength, hopes of success, patience etc: Climbing all those stairs has really finished me (off). (=tired me out) → see also FINISHED; see END (USAGE)
finish sthg./sbdy. ↔ off phr v [T] to kill or destroy (a person or animal, especially one that is hurt or not strong): That tiger is wounded - shall I finish him off? → see also FINISH¹
finish up phr v [L] to be in the end (in the stated place, condition etc): We toured Europe and finished up in Paris. | [+v-ing] Everything went wrong, and I finished up wishing I'd never tried it. → see also FINISH¹
finish with sthg./sbdy. phr v [T] 1 to have no more use for: I'll borrow the scissors if you've finished with them. 2 infml to (wish to) have no further relationship with (someone): I've finished with Mary after the way she's treated me.
finish² n 1 [C] the end or last part, especially of a race: That was a close finish! (=the competitors were almost level) | The meeting was a fiasco from start to finish. | The two men fought to the finish. (=until one was completely defeated) 2 [S;U] the appearance or condition of having been properly finished, with paint, polish etc: This antique French table has a beautiful finish. | (fig.) Her manners lack social finish.
fin·ished /'fɪnɪʃt/ adj 1 [A] properly made and complete: the finished product | a very finished (=of very high quality) performance → opposite UNFINISHED 2 [F] infml at the end of an activity, relationship etc: The workmen were finished by 7.00. 3 [F] infml with no hope of continuing: If the bank refuses to lend us the money, we're finished!
'finishing line also 'finish line AmE → n [the] the line at which a race ends: James crossed the finish line in just under four minutes. → STARTING LINE
'finishing school n 1 a private school where rich young girls learn social skills 2 AmE derog a college or university with very low standards, especially one for women only
fi·nite /'faɪnaɪt/ adj 1 having an end or limit: There is only a finite number of possibilities. | Light moves at a finite speed. | finite resources → opposite INFINITE 2 tech (of a verb form) marked to show a particular tense and subject: 'am', 'was', and 'are' are finite forms of the verb 'to be', but 'being' and 'been' are non-finite. —ly adv
fink¹ /fɪŋk/ v [I] AmE slang to inform people, especially the police, about the action of others, especially criminals: Who finked?
fink² n AmE infml 1 a worthless or unpleasant person 2 a person who tells the police or a parent when someone else has done something wrong
Fink, Mike (?1770-1823) a US man who was famous for taking boats up and down the Mississippi River, for being good at shooting, and for talking proudly about his adventures
Fin·land /'fɪnlənd/ a country in northeast Europe between Russia and Sweden. It is a member of the EU. Population: 5,190,785 (2003). Capital: Helsinki. People in the UK connect Finland with SAUNAS and with the MIDNIGHT SUN (=when the sun can be seen at midnight in the middle of summer). People from Finland are called Finns.
Finn /fɪn/ n someone who comes from Finland
Finn, Huck·le·berry /'hʌkəbəri||-beri/ also called Huck