the index-finger

index, dĭcis, com. [1. indico], he who ( that which) points out, a pointer, indicator (class.).

Lit.

Of things.

Of the forefinger, index-finger.

With digitus:

indice monstraret digito,

Hor. S. 2, 8, 26; Isid. Orig. 11, 1, 70.—

Alone:

sed plane pollex, non index,

Cic. Att. 13, 46, 1. —

In gen., an index, sign, mark, indication, proof:

complexus, summae benevolentiae falsi indices in amore simulato,

Cic. Phil. 11, 2, 5:

quia continetis vocem, indicem stultitiae vestrae,

id. Rab. Perd. 6, 18: auctoris anulus index, Ov. P. 2, 10, 3:

lacrimas paenitentiae indices profuderunt,

Curt. 5, 10, 13:

herbae horarum indices heliotropium ac lupinum,

Plin. 18, 27, 67, § 252:

imago animi vultus, indices oculi,

Cic. Or. 18, 60:

Janum indicem pacis bellique fecit,

Liv. 1, 19, 2.—

Of persons.

In gen., one who indicates or discloses, a discoverer, director, guide, informer, discloser, witness:

haec omnia indices detulerunt, rei confessi sunt,

Cic. Cat. 4, 3, 5:

Sestius ab indice Cn. Nerio de ambitu est postulatus,

id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5; id. Clu. 7, 21:

immittere ad rei probationem,

Just. 32, 2 fin.:

idem et testis,

Tac. A. 4, 28.—

Esp., in a bad sense, an informer, betrayer, spy:

Catilinam vallatum indicibus atque sicariis,

Cic. Mur. 24, 49:

saeptus armatis indicibus,

id. Sest. 44, 95; id. Vat. 10, 24.—

Transf.

Of books.

A title, superscription:

deceptus indicibus librorum,

Cic. de Or. 2, 14, 61:

alteri (libello) Gladius, alteri Pugio index erat,

Suet. Cal. 49:

index orationis P. Scipionis nomen M. Naevii habet,

Liv. 38, 56. —

An index, catalogue, table, list, summary:

ut non indicem certe ex bibliotheca sumptum transferre in libros suos possit,

Quint. 10, 1, 57:

philosophorum,

Sen. Ep. 39, 2; cf. Gell. 3, 3, 1:

hactenus omnia jura quasi per indicem tetigisse satis est,

Gai. Inst. 3, 54:

quasi per indicem rem exponere,

id. ib. 4, 15:

fungar indicis partibus,

Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 2.—

Of paintings or statues, an inscription:

nec quaeris, quid quaque index sub imagine dicat,

Tib. 4, 1, 30:

tabula in aedem Matris Matutae cum indice hoc posita est, etc.,

Liv. 41, 28, 8.—

Of a touchstone:

in durum silicem, qui nunc quoque dicitur Index,

Ov. M. 2, 706.

sălūtāris, e, adj. [salus], of or belonging to well-being, healthful, wholesome, salutary, serviceable, beneficial, advantageous (in the most general sense, while the predominant meaning of salubris, in class. lang., is healthy in a medical sense; very freq. and class.).

In gen.

Absol.:

ut quae mala perniciosaque sunt, habeantur pro bonis ac salutaribus,

Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44:

pro salutaribus mortifera conscribere,

id. ib. 2, 5, 13:

res salutares (opp. pestiferae),

id. N. D. 2, 12, 34:

res utiles et salutares,

id. ib. 1, 15, 38:

salutaris et vitalis calor,

id. ib. 2, 10, 27:

sine quo nihil nec laudabile nec salutare est,

Quint. 12, 10, 79:

tuta et salutaria capessere (opp. praecipitia),

Tac. A. 15, 29:

salutares litterae,

Cic. Att. 9, 7, 2; cf.:

Apollonides orationem salutarem habuit,

Liv. 24, 28:

portus eloquentiae,

Quint. 12, 7, 4; cf. Plin. Ep. 6, 31, 17:

salutaris ars,

of healing, Hor. C. S. 63:

herbae,

Ov. R. Am. 45:

amurca,

Col. 6, 4, 4.—

Rarely of persons: civis,

Cic. Mil. 8, 20: bonus et salutaris Princeps, Tiber. ap. Suet. Tib. 29.—

With dat., ad, contra aliquid, etc. (the first very freq. in Cic.):

ratio quoniam pestifera sit multis, admodum paucis salutaris,

Cic. N. D. 3, 27, 69; Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 26:

hominum generi universo cultura agrorum est salutaris,

Cic. Sen. 16, 56; id. Fam. 6, 6, 4; id. Brut. 4, 15:

corporibus tot res, animis nulla,

id. Tusc. 4, 27, 58:

vox petentibus,

Quint. 10, 7, 2; cf.:

radicem decoctam bibere, spasticis, etc.... salutare ost,

Plin. 21, 19, 77, § 132.—Once also in the comp.:

nihil est nobis salutarius,

Cic. N. D. 3, 9, 23:

stella Jovis aut Veneris conjuncta cum Lunā ad ortus puerorum salutaris sit,

id. Div. 1, 39, 85:

decoctum ad dentium dolorem,

Plin. 24, 9, 42, § 71:

herba Britannica non nervis modo salutaris sed contra anginas quoque et contra serpentes,

id. 25, 3, 6, § 20:

dicunt radicem et in pestilentiā salutarem esse in cibis,

id. 24, 16, 92, § 148. —

As subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., salvation, deliverance, health (late Lat.), Vulg. Gen. 49, 18; id. Psa. 41, 5 et saep.— Plur.: bibere salutaria alicui, to drink one ' s health, App. M. 2, p. 128, 25.—

In partic.

As an appellative: salutaris littera, i. e. the letter A, written on the voting tablets as an abbreviation for absolvo, Cic. Mil. 6, 15 (opp. littera tristis, i. e. C, for condemno): digitus, i. e. the index-finger (perh. as used in greeting), Suet. Aug. 80; Mart. Cap. 1, § 90.—

Subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., i. q. salus, welfare, prosperity, Vulg. Psa. 115, 13 (4) (for the Heb.).— Adj. prop.: Collis Salutaris, one of the four summits of the Quirinal (so called from the temple of Salus, which stood on it), Varr. L. L. 5, § 52 Müll.; cf. Salus, II.;

and v. Becker, Antiq. 1, pp. 568 and 578 sq.: Salutaris porta appellata est ab aede Salutis, quae ei proxima fuit,

Fest. p. 326 Müll.: Jovem cum Optimum et Maximum dicimus, cumque eundem Salutarem Hospitalem. Statorem: hoc intellegi volumus, salutem hominum in ejus esse tutelā (corresp. to the Gr. Zeus Sôtêr), Cic. Fin. 3, 20, 66:

qui (Jesus) Latine dicitur salutaris sive salvator,

Lact. 4, 12, 6.—Hence, adv.: sălūtārĭter, profitably, beneficially, salutarily:

uti armis,

Cic. Brut. 2, 8: se recipere, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2:

cogitare aliquid,

id. ib. 10, 24, 2:

quinque consulatus salutariter rei publicae administrati,

Val. Max. 5, 2, 3:

haec salutariter scripsi,

Amm. 20, 8, 17.— Comp. and sup. of the adv., and sup. of the adj. do not occur.

sălūtāris, e, adj. [salus], of or belonging to well-being, healthful, wholesome, salutary, serviceable, beneficial, advantageous (in the most general sense, while the predominant meaning of salubris, in class. lang., is healthy in a medical sense; very freq. and class.).

In gen.

Absol.:

ut quae mala perniciosaque sunt, habeantur pro bonis ac salutaribus,

Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44:

pro salutaribus mortifera conscribere,

id. ib. 2, 5, 13:

res salutares (opp. pestiferae),

id. N. D. 2, 12, 34:

res utiles et salutares,

id. ib. 1, 15, 38:

salutaris et vitalis calor,

id. ib. 2, 10, 27:

sine quo nihil nec laudabile nec salutare est,

Quint. 12, 10, 79:

tuta et salutaria capessere (opp. praecipitia),

Tac. A. 15, 29:

salutares litterae,

Cic. Att. 9, 7, 2; cf.:

Apollonides orationem salutarem habuit,

Liv. 24, 28:

portus eloquentiae,

Quint. 12, 7, 4; cf. Plin. Ep. 6, 31, 17:

salutaris ars,

of healing, Hor. C. S. 63:

herbae,

Ov. R. Am. 45:

amurca,

Col. 6, 4, 4.—

Rarely of persons: civis,

Cic. Mil. 8, 20: bonus et salutaris Princeps, Tiber. ap. Suet. Tib. 29.—

With dat., ad, contra aliquid, etc. (the first very freq. in Cic.):

ratio quoniam pestifera sit multis, admodum paucis salutaris,

Cic. N. D. 3, 27, 69; Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 26:

hominum generi universo cultura agrorum est salutaris,

Cic. Sen. 16, 56; id. Fam. 6, 6, 4; id. Brut. 4, 15:

corporibus tot res, animis nulla,

id. Tusc. 4, 27, 58:

vox petentibus,

Quint. 10, 7, 2; cf.:

radicem decoctam bibere, spasticis, etc.... salutare ost,

Plin. 21, 19, 77, § 132.—Once also in the comp.:

nihil est nobis salutarius,

Cic. N. D. 3, 9, 23:

stella Jovis aut Veneris conjuncta cum Lunā ad ortus puerorum salutaris sit,

id. Div. 1, 39, 85:

decoctum ad dentium dolorem,

Plin. 24, 9, 42, § 71:

herba Britannica non nervis modo salutaris sed contra anginas quoque et contra serpentes,

id. 25, 3, 6, § 20:

dicunt radicem et in pestilentiā salutarem esse in cibis,

id. 24, 16, 92, § 148. —

As subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., salvation, deliverance, health (late Lat.), Vulg. Gen. 49, 18; id. Psa. 41, 5 et saep.— Plur.: bibere salutaria alicui, to drink one ' s health, App. M. 2, p. 128, 25.—

In partic.

As an appellative: salutaris littera, i. e. the letter A, written on the voting tablets as an abbreviation for absolvo, Cic. Mil. 6, 15 (opp. littera tristis, i. e. C, for condemno): digitus, i. e. the index-finger (perh. as used in greeting), Suet. Aug. 80; Mart. Cap. 1, § 90.—

Subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., i. q. salus, welfare, prosperity, Vulg. Psa. 115, 13 (4) (for the Heb.).— Adj. prop.: Collis Salutaris, one of the four summits of the Quirinal (so called from the temple of Salus, which stood on it), Varr. L. L. 5, § 52 Müll.; cf. Salus, II.;

and v. Becker, Antiq. 1, pp. 568 and 578 sq.: Salutaris porta appellata est ab aede Salutis, quae ei proxima fuit,

Fest. p. 326 Müll.: Jovem cum Optimum et Maximum dicimus, cumque eundem Salutarem Hospitalem. Statorem: hoc intellegi volumus, salutem hominum in ejus esse tutelā (corresp. to the Gr. Zeus Sôtêr), Cic. Fin. 3, 20, 66:

qui (Jesus) Latine dicitur salutaris sive salvator,

Lact. 4, 12, 6.—Hence, adv.: sălūtārĭter, profitably, beneficially, salutarily:

uti armis,

Cic. Brut. 2, 8: se recipere, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2:

cogitare aliquid,

id. ib. 10, 24, 2:

quinque consulatus salutariter rei publicae administrati,

Val. Max. 5, 2, 3:

haec salutariter scripsi,

Amm. 20, 8, 17.— Comp. and sup. of the adv., and sup. of the adj. do not occur.

sălūtāris, e, adj. [salus], of or belonging to well-being, healthful, wholesome, salutary, serviceable, beneficial, advantageous (in the most general sense, while the predominant meaning of salubris, in class. lang., is healthy in a medical sense; very freq. and class.).

In gen.

Absol.:

ut quae mala perniciosaque sunt, habeantur pro bonis ac salutaribus,

Cic. Leg. 1, 16, 44:

pro salutaribus mortifera conscribere,

id. ib. 2, 5, 13:

res salutares (opp. pestiferae),

id. N. D. 2, 12, 34:

res utiles et salutares,

id. ib. 1, 15, 38:

salutaris et vitalis calor,

id. ib. 2, 10, 27:

sine quo nihil nec laudabile nec salutare est,

Quint. 12, 10, 79:

tuta et salutaria capessere (opp. praecipitia),

Tac. A. 15, 29:

salutares litterae,

Cic. Att. 9, 7, 2; cf.:

Apollonides orationem salutarem habuit,

Liv. 24, 28:

portus eloquentiae,

Quint. 12, 7, 4; cf. Plin. Ep. 6, 31, 17:

salutaris ars,

of healing, Hor. C. S. 63:

herbae,

Ov. R. Am. 45:

amurca,

Col. 6, 4, 4.—

Rarely of persons: civis,

Cic. Mil. 8, 20: bonus et salutaris Princeps, Tiber. ap. Suet. Tib. 29.—

With dat., ad, contra aliquid, etc. (the first very freq. in Cic.):

ratio quoniam pestifera sit multis, admodum paucis salutaris,

Cic. N. D. 3, 27, 69; Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 26:

hominum generi universo cultura agrorum est salutaris,

Cic. Sen. 16, 56; id. Fam. 6, 6, 4; id. Brut. 4, 15:

corporibus tot res, animis nulla,

id. Tusc. 4, 27, 58:

vox petentibus,

Quint. 10, 7, 2; cf.:

radicem decoctam bibere, spasticis, etc.... salutare ost,

Plin. 21, 19, 77, § 132.—Once also in the comp.:

nihil est nobis salutarius,

Cic. N. D. 3, 9, 23:

stella Jovis aut Veneris conjuncta cum Lunā ad ortus puerorum salutaris sit,

id. Div. 1, 39, 85:

decoctum ad dentium dolorem,

Plin. 24, 9, 42, § 71:

herba Britannica non nervis modo salutaris sed contra anginas quoque et contra serpentes,

id. 25, 3, 6, § 20:

dicunt radicem et in pestilentiā salutarem esse in cibis,

id. 24, 16, 92, § 148. —

As subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., salvation, deliverance, health (late Lat.), Vulg. Gen. 49, 18; id. Psa. 41, 5 et saep.— Plur.: bibere salutaria alicui, to drink one ' s health, App. M. 2, p. 128, 25.—

In partic.

As an appellative: salutaris littera, i. e. the letter A, written on the voting tablets as an abbreviation for absolvo, Cic. Mil. 6, 15 (opp. littera tristis, i. e. C, for condemno): digitus, i. e. the index-finger (perh. as used in greeting), Suet. Aug. 80; Mart. Cap. 1, § 90.—

Subst.: sălūtāre, is, n., i. q. salus, welfare, prosperity, Vulg. Psa. 115, 13 (4) (for the Heb.).— Adj. prop.: Collis Salutaris, one of the four summits of the Quirinal (so called from the temple of Salus, which stood on it), Varr. L. L. 5, § 52 Müll.; cf. Salus, II.;

and v. Becker, Antiq. 1, pp. 568 and 578 sq.: Salutaris porta appellata est ab aede Salutis, quae ei proxima fuit,

Fest. p. 326 Müll.: Jovem cum Optimum et Maximum dicimus, cumque eundem Salutarem Hospitalem. Statorem: hoc intellegi volumus, salutem hominum in ejus esse tutelā (corresp. to the Gr. Zeus Sôtêr), Cic. Fin. 3, 20, 66:

qui (Jesus) Latine dicitur salutaris sive salvator,

Lact. 4, 12, 6.—Hence, adv.: sălūtārĭter, profitably, beneficially, salutarily:

uti armis,

Cic. Brut. 2, 8: se recipere, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 2:

cogitare aliquid,

id. ib. 10, 24, 2:

quinque consulatus salutariter rei publicae administrati,

Val. Max. 5, 2, 3:

haec salutariter scripsi,

Amm. 20, 8, 17.— Comp. and sup. of the adv., and sup. of the adj. do not occur.

dĭgĭtus, i, m. [Gr. daktulos; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root dek(dechomai), to grasp, receive; cf.

Germ. Finger, from fangen,

Curt. Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, deiknumi, 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. daktulon mê proteinai, ekteinai, 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. daktulos, 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,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 15;

and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam,

id. Att. 7, 3, 11.

Dĭgĭtus, i, m., a proper name; in plur.: Digiti Idaei = Daktuloi Idaioi, the priests of Cybele, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42; cf. Arn. 3, 41 and 43, and v. Dactylus.

dĭgĭtus, i, m. [Gr. daktulos; cf. Germ. Zehe, Eng. toe; from root dek(dechomai), to grasp, receive; cf.

Germ. Finger, from fangen,

Curt. Gr. Etym. 133. Corssen, however, still refers digitus to root dik-, dico, deiknumi, 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. daktulon mê proteinai, ekteinai, 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. daktulos, 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,

id. Verr. 2, 4, 15;

and ellipt.: ab honestissima sententia digitum nusquam,

id. Att. 7, 3, 11.

Dĭgĭtus, i, m., a proper name; in plur.: Digiti Idaei = Daktuloi Idaioi, the priests of Cybele, Cic. N. D. 3, 16, 42; cf. Arn. 3, 41 and 43, and v. Dactylus.