finger n OED ~ 5 (c1400-1850) for sense 1; finger-stall for cpd in sense 2.
   1 The width of a finger used as a measure; a finger's length.
   1842 JUKES i, 284-5 The sealing-gun is an immense affair... The men put in a great charge of powder and shot—frequently ten fingers' breadth. 1895 J A Folklore viii, 288 The gun kicked pow'ful an' I loads her agen, a light load not more'n six fingers. 1938 MACDERMOTT 60 The charge was gauged by testing with the ramrod, measuring by the breadth of the hand how many fingers' width the ramrod protruded from the muzzle. This was spoken of as 'measuring the fingers,' or 'the number of fingers.' T 43/4-64 You'd pour out the powder in your hand, you'd pour out so much and judge what was enough to make about five fingers in the gun. 1972 MURRAY 270 I recall my mother using her middle finger as a measure and giving the length of a stocking leg as being so many 'fingers' long instead of inches.
   2 In names of infections: see BONE FINGER, SEAL ~ , SQUID ~ .
   3 Comb finger mitt: woollen mitten with sheaths for the index finger and thumb (1971 NOSEWORTHY 198).
   finger-stall: covering for an injured finger; STALL.
   [1952] 1964 PEACOCK (ed) i, 130 "For the Fish We Must Prepare": Oh traps and trawls and finger-stalls, / Rubber boots and killick claws, / Some lines and twines and rope and coils, / You get sore hands and full of boils P 167-67 ~ finger or thumb of glove removed and used as shield for wounded member of the hand. 1973 HORWOOD 10 He was knitting leaves for a cod-trap. Harry watched and wanted to learn... Now he was becoming familiar with the knitting needle and the finger stall.

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