Is the Thumb a Finger?
10. Is the Thumb a Finger?
To move onto answering the question at hand (no pun intended)? is the thumb a finger? Strictly speaking, no, it is not. Out thumbs are digits, just like our fingers are, meaning we usually have five digits on each hand. However, four of those digits are fingers, and the other is a thumb.
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The OED actually describes a thumb as being short, thick, and opposing the fingers. Even is somebody does have a long, thin thumb then they would still be opposing the fingers. It is not something that you should be overly concerned about, though and, as mentioned, people will still know what you mean if you just say ten fingers.
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