physic finger en · NOUN
Etymology
Calque of the Latin digitus medicus.
Meanings
-
The ring finger.
From the confessions given by these witches, it seems that their initiation was sealed by a mark made with a pin prick upon the upper and middle joints of the physic finger.
2004, Nathaniel Harris, Witcha: A Book of Cunning, →ISBN, page 107:[…] Iasius ('healer') is the physic finger; Idas ('he of Mount Ida' — Rhea's seat) is the oracular little finger.
1988, D. August Hunt, The Road of the Sun, →ISBN, page 8:Alder, physic finger, By power of divination, Diagnose all maladies of a doubtful mind.
1998, Douglas Monroe, The Lost Books of Merlyn: Druid Magic from the Age of Arthur, →ISBN, page 322:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| physic fingers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
third finger · marriage finger · leech-finger · medicinal finger · medical finger · gold-finger · physical finger · ring-finger · physician finger · ringman