“The middle finger is the penis and the curled fingers on either side are the testicles,” concurs anthropologist Desmond Morris in a 2012 interview with the BBC. “It’s one of the most ancient insult gestures known” and a semi-universal representation of indecency and mockery. In Latin, the middle finger was the digitus impudicus, meaning the "shameless, indecent or offensive finger". [5] . Middle finger definition: the finger between the forefinger and the third finger.. See examples of MIDDLE FINGER used in a sentence. Whether you’ve seen it in a heated moment on the highway, in pop culture, or even in viral memes on social media, the middle finger carries a universal message. But how did this simple gesture become so loaded with meaning and serve as the ultimate insult across cultures and centuries?
