Meanings
- rareA “slip of the finger”; a miskeying.
[…] the names can hardly be considered distinct, being either a misprint or a lapsus digiti.
1905: Joel Asaph Allen, Reports of the Princeton University Expeditions to Patagonia, 1896–1899, volume 3, part 1, “Mammalia of Southern Patagonia”, page 248 (Princeton University)2 more examples
Cuvier & Valenciennes state that the first ray of the dorsal of P. nigricans is prolonged in a filament. Is this a lapsus digiti for first ray of the pectoral? The dorsal and anal have from two to four minute accessory rays entirely hidden in the thick skin in front of the evident portion of these fins.
1918–1921: Carl H. Eigenmann, Memoirs of the Carnegie Museum, volume VII, № 5, “The Pygidiidæ, a Family of South American Catfishes”, page 289Since I am hunting Latin and Greek classics, and since booksellers often misspell titles (or leave the author’s name in the genitive case), many excellent purchases can be made at the expense of a seller’s lapsus digiti.
2007: Fine Books & Collections, volume 5, issues 1–6, page xxxvii (OP Media)
Origin
From the Latin: lāpsus (“a slipping or falling”) (lāpsūs in the plural) + digitī (“of [a / the] finger”), genitive singular form of digitus (“finger”) = “a finger’s slipping”; compare lapsus digitorum.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
lapsus digiti. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapsus%20digiti
“lapsus digiti.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapsus%20digiti. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lapsus digiti,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lapsus%20digiti.
Source: lapsus digiti on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.