finger point

• finger-point, fingerpoint

finger point (plural finger points)

1. An act of pointing with a finger or fingers; a pointed finger.
   • 2000, Elizabeth Stead, “Sea Pictures – the Last Sacrifice”, in The Fishcastle, Ringwood, Vic.: Penguin Books Australia, →ISBN, page 377:

     Hesta the guide drew their attention to points of interest with finger points and hand waves.

   • 2008 February 10, Jonathan Freedland, “Will Hillary beat Obama by a finger?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 1 September 2013:

     The latter takes it as a gesture of aggression and fires back, eventually reaching for a kitchen knife, "If you're starting with the finger, say goodbye to the finger!" The Democratic party faithful may soon have a similar reaction, so often are they having a finger wagged in their collective face. For the finger point has become a key part of the body language of the 2008 campaign.

   • 2010 June 29, Paul Doyle, “World Cup 2010 paper view: David Beckham for England manager?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎^[2], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 August 2023:

     David Beckham looking a bit like a manager. He's got the finger point pretty much nailed.

   • 2017, Alisyn Camerota, “Split Screen”, in Amanda Wakes Up, New York, N.Y.: Viking, →ISBN, page 141:

     “Have you seen this?” Charlie asked, pointing across the room. He sounded appalled, like he was about to show me something valuable that our dog had destroyed. Except we didn’t have a dog. I followed his finger point to the TV screen.

   • 2020 December 23, Dalvin Brown, “AI-powered bionic hand promises lifelike dexterity”, in The Washington Post‎^[3], Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 23 December 2020:

     “I could flex inside the prosthetic, and it would change from a finger point to a two-finger pinch, and then from a pinch to a fist,” [Carey] Duval said.

   • 2021 March 19, Billy Witz, “N.C.A.A. Tournament: Same Courts, Same Game, New Emptiness”, in The New York Times‎^[4], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 March 2021:

     The students chanted, “Let’s go, Jackets,” drawing a finger point of approval from a Tech player during warm-ups.

   • 2024 March 21, Amy Nicholson, “Review: A talk show goes horribly wrong in sly ‘Late Night With the Devil’ review”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[5], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 21 March 2024:

     In just a few rehearsed gestures — a finger point, a pantomimed bat swing — Dastmalchian clues us in that he’s playing a shell hollowed out by ambition.

2. The point of a finger.
   • 1888–1894, Walter [pseudonym], chapter III, in My Secret Life, volumes VII–XI, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1966, →LCCN, →OCLC, volume IX, page 1781:

     Then one hand […] round her neck just touching with finger points one of a lovely pair of breasts, […]

   • 1931 August, Ben C. Robinson, “Anglers’ Letters”, in John A. McGuire, editor, Outdoor Life, volume LXVIII, number 2, Mount Morris, Ill.: Outdoor Life Publishing Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 40, column 2:

     First, lay the fish on its side and cut along the water line from gill to tail with a sharp pointed knife. Lift the skin off carefully by starting in the middle and working it up easily with finger points, and from around the fins.

   • 1974 April, Senta Maria Rungé, “Lower Cheeks”, in Face Lifting by Exercise: For Women & Men Over Twenty-One, 6th edition, Los Angeles, Calif.: Allegro Publishing Co., →OCLC, Exercises section, page 111:

     Step 1. Place one or two finger points directly under each smile line which we have identified as the point of action. Step 2. Push smile lines somewhat out with your finger points.

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   • 1916 September 5, Morning Bulletin Leased Wire, “Fierce Fight Is Centering at Falfemont; Artillery Useless and Men Fight with Cold Steel […]”, in The Morning Bulletin, volume VII, number 110, Edmonton, Alta., →OCLC, page 3, column 3:

     At the southern end of the sunken road is a finger point of the green wedge wood and below this lay Falfemont farm, where the British attack stopped yesterday.

   • 1942 July, Harry Martz, “Aids in the Diagnosis of Acute Surgical Conditions of the Abdomen”, in The Southern Surgeon, volume XI, number 7, Atlanta, Ga.: The Southern Surgeon Publishing Co., →OCLC, pages 485–486:

     There is a rigidity of the quadratus lumborum muscle on the same side, with a finger point of marked tenderness at the junction of the outer end of the quadratus lumborum muscle with the lower border of the tenth rib.

   • 1968, George W[ashington] Robnett, “Appendix ‘B’: Who Are the Jews?”, in Conquest through Immigration: How Zionism Turned Palestine into a Jewish State, Pasadena, Calif.: Institute for Special Research, →OCLC, page 386:

     Edom was just south of Moab. Both were small areas south and east of the Wadi Arabah that stretches from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba—a finger point of the Red Sea.

finger point (third-person singular simple present finger points, present participle finger pointing, simple past and past participle finger pointed)

1. Alternative form of finger-point.
   • 1989, Tracy Kidder, “Recovery”, in Among Schoolchildren (A Richard Todd Book), Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 204:

     “Out!” she said. The imperious teacher finger pointed toward the door.

   • 1996, Milton F. Miller, “I Get a Soldier Killed”, in Now Count Your Men, Hitler! Memoirs of an Infantryman, Louisville, Ky.: Zorn Avenue Publications with assistance from The Sulgrave Press, →ISBN, page 55:

     He finger pointed to his head as if to indicate he would be shot if he exposed himself.

   • 2011, Vicky R. Johnson, “Epilogue”, in Divine Logistics: A Real World Guide to Getting Past the Titles and onto the Work of Executing Exemplary Ministry, Baltimore, Md.: holy matrimony, →ISBN, page 170:

     My goal for writing this book was to say on the record what I have heard reiterated by “church going” folk for years; “We’ve Got To Do Better.” And we do. But the key is we ALL have to do better. This is not to finger point at any one area, if the mark is being missed, we’ve all missed it.