Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Finger \Fin"ger\, n. [AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG.
   fingar, G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. & Dan. finger, Goth.
   figgrs; of unknown origin; perh. akin to E. fang.]
   1. One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit;
      esp., one of the four extermities of the hand, other than
      the thumb.

   2. Anything that does work of a finger; as, the pointer of a
      clock, watch, or other registering machine; especially
      (Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece, which is
      brought into contact with an object to effect, direct, or
      restrain a motion.

   3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth part of the hand; a
      measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of finger, a
      measure in domestic use in the United States, of about
      four and a half inches or one eighth of a yard.

            A piece of steel three fingers thick. --Bp. Wilkins.

   4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a
      musical instrument. [R.]

            She has a good finger.                --Busby.

   {Ear finger}, the little finger.

   {Finger alphabet}. See {Dactylology}.

   {Finger bar}, the horizontal bar, carrying slotted spikes, or
      fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and
      reaping machines play.

   {Finger board} (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument
      against which the fingers press the strings to vary the
      tone; the keyboard of a piano, organ, etc.; manual.

   {Finger} {bowl or glass}, a bowl or glass to hold water for
      rinsing the fingers at table.

   {Finger flower} (Bot.), the foxglove.

   {Finger grass} (Bot.), a kind of grass ({Panicum sanguinale})
      with slender radiating spikes; common crab grass. See
      {Crab grass}, under {Crab}.

   {Finger nut}, a fly nut or thumb nut.

   {Finger plate}, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to protect a
      painted or polished door from finger marks.

   {Finger post}, a guide post bearing an index finger.

   {Finger reading}, reading printed in relief so as to be
      sensible to the touch; -- so made for the blind.

   {Finger shell} (Zo["o]l.), a marine shell ({Pholas dactylus})
      resembling a finger in form.

   {Finger sponge} (Zo["o]l.), a sponge having finger-shaped
      lobes, or branches.

   {Finger stall}, a cover or shield for a finger.

   {Finger steel}, a steel instrument for whetting a currier's
      knife.

   {To burn one's fingers}. See under {Burn}.

   {To have a finger in}, to be concerned in. [Colloq.]

   {To have at one's fingers' ends}, to be thoroughly familiar
      with. [Colloq.]

Burn \Burn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burned} (?) or {Burnt} (?); p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Burning}.] [OE. bernen, brennen, v. t., early
   confused with beornen, birnen, v. i., AS. b[ae]rnan, bernan,
   v. t., birnan, v. i.; akin to OS. brinnan, OFries. barna,
   berna, OHG. brinnan, brennan, G. brennen, OD. bernen, D.
   branden, Dan. br[ae]nde, Sw. br["a]nna, brinna, Icel. brenna,
   Goth. brinnan, brannjan (in comp.), and possibly to E.
   fervent.]
   1. To consume with fire; to reduce to ashes by the action of
      heat or fire; -- frequently intensified by up: as, to burn
      up wood. ``We'll burn his body in the holy place.''
      --Shak.

   2. To injure by fire or heat; to change destructively some
      property or properties of, by undue exposure to fire or
      heat; to scorch; to scald; to blister; to singe; to char;
      to sear; as, to burn steel in forging; to burn one's face
      in the sun; the sun burns the grass.

   3. To perfect or improve by fire or heat; to submit to the
      action of fire or heat for some economic purpose; to
      destroy or change some property or properties of, by
      exposure to fire or heat in due degree for obtaining a
      desired residuum, product, or effect; to bake; as, to burn
      clay in making bricks or pottery; to burn wood so as to
      produce charcoal; to burn limestone for the lime.

   4. To make or produce, as an effect or result, by the
      application of fire or heat; as, to burn a hole; to burn
      charcoal; to burn letters into a block.

   5. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by
      action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does;
      as, to burn the mouth with pepper.

            This tyrant fever burns me up.        --Shak.

            This dry sorrow burns up all my tears. --Dryden.

            When the cold north wind bloweth, . . . it devoureth
            the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and
            consumeth the grass as fire.          --Ecclus.
                                                  xliii. 20, 21.

   6. (Surg.) To apply a cautery to; to cauterize.

   7. (Chem.) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active
      agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize; as,
      a man burns a certain amount of carbon at each
      respiration; to burn iron in oxygen.

   {To burn}, {To burn together}, as two surfaces of metal
      (Engin.), to fuse and unite them by pouring over them a
      quantity of the same metal in a liquid state.

   {To burn a bowl} (Game of Bowls), to displace it
      accidentally, the bowl so displaced being said to be
      burned.

   {To burn daylight}, to light candles before it is dark; to
      waste time; to perform superfluous actions. --Shak.

   {To burn one's fingers}, to get one's self into unexpected
      trouble, as by interfering the concerns of others,
      speculation, etc.

   {To burn out}, to destroy or obliterate by burning. ``Must
      you with hot irons burn out mine eyes?'' --Shak.

   {To be burned out}, to suffer loss by fire, as the burning of
      one's house, store, or shop, with the contents.

   {To burn up}, {To burn down}, to burn entirely.