1398, from L. digitus "finger or toe," related to dicere "tell, say, point out" (see diction). Numerical sense is because numerals under ten were counted on fingers. Digital (1656) is first recorded 1945 in reference to computers, 1960 of recording or broadcasting.
Anatomy A jointed body part at the end of the limbs of many vertebrates. The limbs of primates end in five digits, while the limbs of horses end in a single digit that terminates in a hoof. The fingers and toes are digits in humans.
Mathematics One of the ten Arabic numerals, 0 through 9.
Dac"tyl\, n. [L. dactylus, Gr. da`ktylos a finger, a dactyl. Cf. Digit.]1. (Pros.) A poetical foot of three sylables (--- [crescent] [crescent]), one long followed by two short, or one accented followed by two unaccented; as, L. t["e]gm[i^]n[e^], E. mer\b6ciful; -- so called from the similarity of its arrangement to that of the joints of a finger. [Written also dactyle.] 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A finger or toe; a digit. (b) The claw or terminal joint of a leg of an insect or crustacean.
Dig"it\, n. [L. digitus finger; prob. akin to Gr. ?, of uncertain origin; possibly akin to E. toe. Cf. Dactyl.]1. (Zo["o]l.) One of the terminal divisions of a limb appendage; a finger or toe. The ruminants have the "cloven foot," i. e., two hoofed digits on each foot. --Owen. 2. A finger's breadth, commonly estimated to be three fourths of an inch. 3. (Math.) One of the ten figures or symbols, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, by which all numbers are expressed; -- so called because of the use of the fingers in counting and computing. Note: By some authorities the symbol 0 is not included with the digits. 4. (Anat.) One twelfth part of the diameter of the sun or moon; -- a term used to express the quantity of an eclipse; as, an eclipse of eight digits is one which hides two thirds of the diameter of the disk.
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