middle finger

[ mid-l fing-ger ]

noun

1. the finger between the forefinger and the third finger.
2. Slang. an obscene gesture of contempt made by pointing this finger upward while folding the other fingers against the palm; the finger: finger ( def 18 ).

   The driver honked his horn and got the middle finger from the biker.

Word History and Origins

Origin of middle finger¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English

Example Sentences

“He profits from fringe medical ideas. By nominating RFK Jr & Mehmet Oz, Trump is giving his middle finger to science. Having worked for 40 years in public health, it’s utterly disheartening.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Owning the libs” is just a middle finger back to mainstream society.

From Salon

“Joker: Folie à Deux” seems designed as a middle finger to those who enjoyed the anarchy of the original, Times columnist Glenn Whipp notes in his newsletter.

From Los Angeles Times

Another scene showed the wife raising her middle finger at the woman.

From BBC

Freeman, who is still playing through a fractured right middle finger, is 11 for 33 with seven walks since getting a three-game break in late August.

From Los Angeles Times