[OE. fíffingre wk.fem. (sense 1), f. fíf FIVE + FINGER.]

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  1.  A name for various plants. a. The cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans and other species). b. The oxlip (Primula elatior). c. Lotus corniculatus.

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c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., III. 123. Ac ceowe hwytes cuduwys sæd & fiffingran ælce dæȝ ær he etan.

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a. 1825.  Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, 114. Five-fingers, oxlips, primula elatior.

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1843.  S. Judd, Margaret, III. (1851) II. 295. The leaves of the five-finger draw together to shelter the flower when it rains, and open when the sun comes out.

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1866.  Treas. Bot., Five-fingers. Potentilla reptans and canadensis.

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  2.  A popular name for a species of star-fish.

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1678.  Phillips, Fivefinger, a Fish resembling a Spur-rowel, which gets into Oysters, when they open and sucks them out.

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1852.  Hawthorne, Scarlet L., xv. (1883), 213. She seized a live horseshoe by the tail, and made prize of several five-fingers, and laid out a jelly-fish to melt in the warm sun.

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  † 3.  Card-playing. The five of trumps. Also five-fingers. Obs.

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1611.  Chapman, May-Day, V. ii. Plays, 1873, II. 401. For my game stood, me thought, vpon my last two tricks, when I made sure of the set, and yet lost it, hauing the varlet and the fiue finger to make two tricks.

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1674.  Cotton, Gamester, xiii. 123. The five fingers (alias, five of trumps) is the best Card in the pack.

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  4.  Comb. five-finger-grass = 1 a.

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1640.  Parkinson, Theat. Bot., III. xxv. 398. In English Cinkefoile and Cinkefield, and five finger grasse, or five leafed grasse.

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1879.  Prior, Plant-n., Five-finger-grass or Five-leaf, a plant so called from its five leaflets, potentilla reptans.

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  Hence Five-fingering vbl. sb. (see quot.).

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1889.  A. T. Pask, Eyes Thames, 58. They go out ‘five-fingering,’ i. e. catching star-fish for manure.

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