dĭgĭtus (noun M) : Gr. δάκτυλος; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root δεκ(δέχομαι), to grasp, receive; cf. Germ. Finger, from fangen,Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, δείκνυμι, as the pointer, indicator, Ausspr. 1, 380; cf. dico
* A finger.
* 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.
* 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.)
* Transf.
* 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.
* A small bough, a twig, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 12; 17, 24, 37, § 224.
* 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,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 15; and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam,id. Att. 7, 3, 11.

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