A protective covering or sheath for a single finger, typically made of leather, rubber, or fabric.
Compound of 'finger' and 'stall' (Old English 'steall,' meaning a place or covering). The term appeared in English documentation from the 1500s for protective finger sheaths.
Medieval physicians wore fingerstalls to prevent infection transmission—they understood germ theory through practical observation centuries before germ science existed, all because they noticed better outcomes when fingers stayed covered.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.