finger food

noun

plural finger foods

: a food that is meant to be picked up with the fingers and eaten

Finger foods like apple wedges and strawberries dipped in yogurt make an excellent snack for both parent and child.

—The Knoxville (Tennessee) News-Sentinel

Mashed potatoes are not a finger food.

—Erma Bombeck

Examples of finger food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Plan for a day alone or with friends spent at the park of your choosing, sharing a joint and eating delicious finger food. —Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2024

Let guests scoop this easy appetizer onto crackers for the perfect bite. get the recipe 14 of 20 Cheese Straws Modern day parties have nothing on the classic shindigs starring finger foods that were hard to resist. —Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2024

Choose age-appropriate finger food options Ages 6-9 Months: Serve finger foods that babies can pick up using their palmar grasp (full hand). —Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 July 2024

Afterward, head up to the dining room for chef Chad Williams’ tasting menu that features dishes such as pasta with Benton’s Country Ham and collard greens and jerk quail, which make fantastic finger food when tucked into the slightly sweet coco bread that comes alongside it. —Regan Stephens, Saveur, 12 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

finger food

noun

: a food (as a carrot stick) that is meant to be picked up with the fingers and eaten