Meanings
nounfingerspelling (countable and uncountable, plural fingerspellings)
plural fingerspellings · alternative FS
- countableuncountableThe practice of representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands to spell out words.
- countableuncountableAny system for representing the letters of an alphabet using just the hands; a manual alphabet that is a representation of a written alphabet.
- countableuncountableA representation of the spelling of a word using such a system.
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 指拼
- 指拼 (zhǐpīn)the practice of using the hands to spell out words
Hungarian ujjábécé, jelnyelvi ábécé
- ujjábécéany system for representing letters using the hands
- jelnyelvi ábécéany system for representing letters using the hands
Portuguese dactilologia, datilologia
- dactilologiathe practice of using the hands to spell out words
- datilologiathe practice of using the hands to spell out words
- dactilologiaany system for representing letters using the hands
- datilologiaany system for representing letters using the hands
- alfabeto manualany system for representing letters using the hands
Swedish handalfabet
- handalfabetany system for representing letters using the hands
Cite this entry
APA
fingerspelling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fingerspelling
MLA
“fingerspelling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fingerspelling. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fingerspelling,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fingerspelling.
Source: fingerspelling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.