Definition
食指 literally means 'food finger' — the finger used to point at food. It is the standard term for the index finger. In the fixed expression 食指浩繁, it figuratively refers to 'mouths to feed' or the number of dependents one must support, a usage that appears in formal or literary contexts.
n.
index fingerforefingerfigurativelynumber of dependents to feed (in a family, in phrases like 食指浩繁)
Examples
- 食指。Tā yòng shí zhǐ zhǐ zhe dìtú shàng de Běijīng.He used his index finger to point at Beijing on the map.
- 食指，。Jiā zhōng shí zhǐ hàofán, tā bùdé bù xīnkǔ gōngzuò.With many mouths to feed at home, he has to work hard.
- 食指。shí zhǐ shì shǒubù zuì línghuó de zhǐtou zhī yī.The index finger is one of the most dexterous fingers on the hand.
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