leech-finger

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

leech-finger

Where it comes from

From Middle English leche fingir, læchefinger, from Old English lǣċefinger (“fourth finger, leech-finger”), equivalent to leech (“physician”) + finger. Compare Old Norse lǽknisfingr (“leech-finger”), Icelandic læknisfingur. According to medieval belief, a nerve or artery ran from this digit to the heart. It gave the finger a prominent role in medical lore and practice. Doctors would use it when applying treatments, for example.

noun leech-fingers · leechfinger · leech finger · leach-finger

obsolete The finger next to the little finger; ring-finger. Sing three Our Fathers on your leechfinger, and write around the sore.
Similar: gold-finger, marriage finger, medical finger, medicinal finger, physic finger, physical finger, physician finger, ring-finger, ring-man, third finger

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"leech-finger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/leech-finger. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

leech-finger. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/leech-finger

Chicago

"leech-finger." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/leech-finger.

BibTeX

@misc{leech_finger_2026,
  title = {leech-finger},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/leech-finger},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}