Crossword Clue: One of five on a hand
Here's the answer to the One of five on a hand crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: FINGER
FINGER solves the clue "One of five on a hand". Spanning 6 letters (2 vowels, 4 consonants), it begins at F and ends at R. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
Fingers are the digits of the hand, each with a unique fingerprint that stays constant for life. Even identical twins have different fingerprints because the patterns form partly at random in the womb.
Common usage
Finger turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like FINGER interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 6-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 6 letters, FINGER shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of FINGER's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue FINGER — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'One of five on a hand' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in FINGER almost immediately."
- "Once the F was confirmed by the crossing word, FINGER was the only entry that fit."
- "A 6-letter slot and a clue like 'One of five on a hand'? That's FINGER nine times out of ten."