Also 7–8 Sc. fingram, 8 Sc. fingrim, fingrine, fingrum, -om, 9 fingerin. [The oldest forms fingram, etc., combined with the difficulty of connecting the sense with that of finger, suggest that the word may be an early corruption of F. fin grain, lit. ‘fine grain’ (cf. grogram from gros grain).]
1. A kind of wool or yarn used chiefly in knitting stockings; ‘worsted spun of combed wool, on the small wheel’ (Jam.). Also attrib.
1681. Colvil, Whigs Supplic. (1751), 107. There Fingram Stockings spun on Rocks lyes.
1808. Jamieson, Fingerin.
1875. Plain Needlework, 10. ‘Fingering Yarn,’ by Jevons, of Birmingham.
1885. Bazaar, 30 March, 332/1. Stocking … knitted with German fingering wool.
1894. Westm. Gaz., 10 May, 3/3. Stockings made from the best ‘fingerings.’
† 2. A kind of woollen cloth. Sc. Obs.
1707. G. Miege, Pres. State Gt. Brit., II. 24. The numerous and large Flocks of Sheep they have in Scotland produce abundance of Wool, from whence come Manufactures of several sorts; as … Fingrims, Serges [etc.].
1719. Act 6 Geo. I., c. 13. An Act for … preventing Frauds … in manufacturing Serges … and Fingrums.
1733. P. Lindsay, Interest Scot., 105. At Aberdeen, and Countries adjacent, large Quantities of our own coarse tarred Wooll are manufactured into coarse Serges, called Fingrams.
