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

What to Serve If your crew loves to bounce around and chit-chat, consider finger foods over a sit-down meal and make pigs in a blanket or little smokies as the main course. —Isabella Milano, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2024

After all, what's a watch party without some high-quality finger foods? —Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 28 Dec. 2024

Get The Recipe 16 of 21 Chicken Fries These crispy, crunchy chicken sticks satisfy a fried chicken craving in finger food form. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024

Light refreshments, including finger foods, will be available at no charge. —Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, 12 Dec. 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