leech-finger
leech-finger · leech-fingers
The finger next to the little fingerThe finger next to the little finger; ring-finger.
Meaning
1 senses(obsolete)The finger next to the little finger; ring-finger.
Origin
From Middle English leche fingir, læchefinger, from Old English lǣċefinger (“fourth fingerFrom 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.
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