Etymograph

English

trigger finger

From trigger + finger.

A compound of trigger + finger

Proto-Indo-European *dreg- ‘to pull’

…

Old Dutch *trecken

Middle Dutch trecken ‘to pull or draw to oneself’

Dutch trekken ‘to drag, draw, pull’

Dutch trekker ‘pull’

English trigger

Proto-Germanic *fingraz ‘finger’

Proto-West Germanic *fingr

Old English finger

Middle English fynger ‘a finger’

English finger

Today it means

noun a finger used in pulling the trigger of a firearm

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “trigger finger”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / trigger finger

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