sticky finger

A form of sticky-finger — To steal, to pilfer; to make off with (something).

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbsticky finger (third-person singular simple present sticky fingers, present participle sticky fingering, simple past and past participle sticky fingered)

present singular third person sticky fingers · participle present sticky fingering · participle past sticky fingered · past sticky fingered

  1. alternativeAlternative form of sticky-finger (“to steal”).

    A bit of sticky fingering, a shady deal or two, life wasn't easy. She could spot wronguns too. Ben wasn't a wicked man. Maris had better not get too funny, her and her power of attorney.

    1981, Ursula Holden, Penny Links
    1 more example

    I guess that's why I started sticky fingering things. I kept the stash under my bed, tools mostly—a cordless drill, a set of wrenches, screwdrivers, some knives. After a few weeks, I was shopping for the future and I yanked a coffeemaker. […]

    2012, Mar'ce Merrell, Wicked Sweet: A Novel, Feiwel & Friends, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

sticky finger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20finger

MLA

“sticky finger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20finger. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sticky finger,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticky%20finger.

Source: sticky finger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.