Lewis & Short

1. dĭgĭtus, i, m. [Gr. δάκτυλος; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root δεκ(δέχομαι), to grasp, receive; cf. Germ. Finger, from fangen, Curt. Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, δείκνυμι, as the pointer, indicator, Ausspr. 1, 380; cf. dico], a finger.

  1. I. Prop.: tot (cyathos bibimus), quot digiti sunt tibi in manu, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 24; id. Most. 5, 1, 69; id. Mil. 2, 2, 47; 4, 2, 57 et saep.
    The special designations: pollex, the thumb; index or salutaris, the forefinger; medius, also infamis and impudicus, the middle finger; minimo proximus or medicinalis, the ring-finger; minimus, the little finger, v. under those words.
    1. B. Special connections: attingere aliquem digito (uno), to touch one lightly, gently, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 15; Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 2 Ruhnk.; Licinius ap. Gell. 19, 9, 13; Cic. Tusc. 5, 19, 55; cf. with tangere, Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 30; id. Poen. 5, 5, 29: attingere aliquid extremis digitis (with primoribus labris gustare), to touch lightly, to enjoy slightly, Cic. Cael. 12: attingere caelum digito, to be exceedingly happy, id. Att. 2, 1, 7: colere summis digitis, to adore (to touch the offering or consecrated gift) with the tips of the fingers, Lact. 1, 20; 5, 19 fin.; cf. Ov. F. 2, 573: computare digitis, to count on the fingers, to reckon up, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 51; Plin. 34, 8, 19, no. 29, § 88; cf.: numerare per digitos, Ov. F. 3, 123: in digitis suis singulas partis causae constituere, Cic. Div. in Caec. 14, 45.
      Hence, venire ad digitos, to be reckoned, Plin. 2, 23, 21, § 87; and: si tuos digitos novi, thy skill in reckoning, Cic. Att. 5, 21, 13; cf. also: digerere argumenta in digitos, to count on the fingers, Quint. 11, 3, 114: concrepare digitos or digitis, to snap the fingers, as a signal of command, Petr. 27, 5; Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 53; Cic. Off. 3, 19; v. concrepo; cf. also: digitus crepans, Mart. 3, 82, 15: digitorum crepitus, id. 14, 119: digitorum percussio, Cic. Off. 3, 19, 78: intendere digitum ad aliquid, to point the finger at any thing, Cic. de Or. 1, 46 fin.: liceri digito, to hold up the finger in bidding at an auction, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 11; for which also: tollere digitum, id. ib. 2, 1, 54. The latter phrase also signifies, to raise the finger in token of submission, said of a combatant, Sid. Ep. 5, 7; cf. Mart. Spect. 29, 5; and Schol, Pers. 5, 119: loqui digitis nutuque, to talk by signs, Ov. Tr. 2, 453; different is: postquam fuerant digiti cum voce locuti, i. e. playing as an accompaniment to singing, Tib. 3, 4, 41; cf.: ad digiti sonum, id. 1, 2, 31; cf. also Lucr. 4, 587; 5, 1384: digito compesce labellum, hold your tongue, Juv. 1, 160.
      For the various modes of employing the fingers in oratorical delivery, cf. Quint. 1, 10, 35; 11, 3, 92 sq.; 103; 120 al.: monstrari digito, i. e. to be pointed out, to become distinguished, famous, Hor. C. 4, 3, 22; Pers. 1, 28; for which: demonstrari digito, Tac. Or. 7 fin.; Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 266; id. Rep. 6, 24; Nep. Datam. 11, 5; Suet. Aug. 45.
      Prov. phrases: nescit, quot digitos habeat in manu, of one who knows nothing at all, Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 5: in digitis hodie percoquam quod ceperit, i. e. he has caught nothing, id. Rud. 4, 1, 11: ne digitum quidem porrigere, not to stretch out a finger, like the Gr. δάκτυλον μὴ προτεῖναι, ἐκτεῖναι, for not to give one’s self the least trouble, Cic. Fin. 3, 17, 57; cf.: exserere digitum, Pers. 5, 119 Scal.; and in like manner: proferre digitum, to move a finger, to make any exertion, Cic. Caecin. 25, 71: scalpere caput digito, of effeminate men fearful of disarranging their hair, Juv. 9, 133; cf. Sen. Ep. 52 fin.; a habit of Pompey’s, acc. to Calvus ap. Schol. Luc. 7, 726, and Sen. Contr. 3, 19; Amm. 17, 11. (Cf. Echtermeyer’s Ueber Namen und symbolische Bedeutung der Finger bei den Griechen und Römern, Progr. d. Hall. Pädagogiums, v. 1835.)
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A toe (cf. Heb. [??], Gr. δάκτυλος, Fr. doigt), Lucr. 3, 527; Verg. A. 5, 426; Petr. 132, 14; Sen. Ep. 111; Quint. 2, 3, 8 et saep.; also of the toes of animals, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 4; Col. 8, 2, 8; Plin. 10, 42, 59, § 119 al.
    2. B. A small bough, a twig, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12; 17, 24, 37, § 224.
    3. C. As a measure of length, an inch, the sixteenth part of a Roman foot (pes), Front. Aquaed. 24 sq.; Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 6; id. B. C. 2, 10, 4; Juv. 12, 59 al.: digiti primores, finger-ends, as a measure, Cato R. R. 21, 2; digitus transversus, a fingerbreadth, id. ib. 45 fin.; 48, 2.
      Prov.: digitum transversum non discedere ab aliqua re, not to swerve a finger’s breadth, Cic. Ac. 2, 18, 58; cf. without transversum: nusquam ab argento digitum discedere, id. Verr. 2, 4, 15; and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam, id. Att. 7, 3, 11.