אֶצְבַּע

n.f. 1. finger; 2. toe (𝔗 Syriac; BH id.);—pl. abs. אֶצְבְּעָן Dn 5:5 emph. תָא—ָ 2:41; cstr. ת—ָ v 42.

(b. h.; = עצבע; עצב, finger, esp. index-finger. Men. 11ᵃ זו א׳ with this (the fourth from the little finger) the measure of ‘a finger’ is taken; Keth. 5ᵇ. Y. Taan. IV, 68ᵈ bot.; Lam. R. to II, 2 (מטיפי) מקוטעי א׳ who had their finger cut off (in evidence of devotion to the cause). Yoma I, 7 א׳ צרדה; Tosef. ib. I, 9 explained א׳ גדולה middle finger; cmp. Tanḥ. Bo, end, expl. אמצעית.—Keth. 71ᵃ הוא נותן א׳ וכ׳ he (the husband) puts his finger between her teeth (and must expect to be bitten), i.e. has to take the consequences of not interfering with her vow in due time. any projecting limb resembling the shape of a finger. Ḥull. 61ᵃ א׳ יתירה the projecting toe on a bird’s claw. Tam. IV, 3 (31ᵃ) א׳ הכבד the lobe of the liver.—Fig. (like יד) share, part. Y. Pes. IV, 31ᵃ top; Y. Ab. Zar. I, 40ᵃ top, v. אֶמְצַע.—Pl. אֶצְבָּעוֹת. Ḥag. 15ᵃ; a. fr. (mostly in the sense of finger’s length).—Pes. 112ᵇ; Nidd. 66ᵃ euphem. for membra virilia.—Dual אֶצְבְּעַיִּם, אֶצְבְּעַיִּים, Cant. R. to VIII, 11 גידם א׳ one whose (index) fingers were lopped (stump-like). Ib. that whole trade of mine אינה נקנית אלא בא׳ cannot be acquired except by learning how to use the index-fingers.—Pes. 109ᵃ, a. e. two finger lengths