What is "finger bowl"

Finger \Fin"ger\ (f[i^][ng]"g[~e]r), n. [AS. finger; akin to D. vinger, OS. & OHG. fingar, G. finger, Icel. fingr, Sw. & Dan. finger, Goth. figgrs; of unknown origin; perh. akin to E. fang.]

1. One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit; esp., one of the four extremities of the hand, other than the thumb.

2. Anything that does the work of a finger; as, the pointer of a clock, watch, or other registering machine; especially (Mech.) a small projecting rod, wire, or piece, which is brought into contact with an object to effect, direct, or restrain a motion.

3. The breadth of a finger, or the fourth part of the hand; a measure of nearly an inch; also, the length of finger, a measure in domestic use in the United States, of about four and a half inches or one eighth of a yard.

   A piece of steel three fingers thick.
   --Bp. Wilkins.

4. Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument. [R.]

   She has a good finger.
   --Busby.

   Ear finger, the little finger.

   Finger alphabet. See Dactylology.

   Finger bar, the horizontal bar, carrying slotted spikes, or fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reaping machines play.

   Finger board (Mus.), the part of a stringed instrument against which the fingers press the strings to vary the tone; the keyboard of a piano, organ, etc.; manual.

   Finger bowl Finger glass, a bowl or glass to hold water for rinsing the fingers at table.

   Finger flower (Bot.), the foxglove.

   Finger grass (Bot.), a kind of grass ( Panicum sanguinale) with slender radiating spikes; common crab grass. See Crab grass, under Crab.

   Finger nut, a fly nut or thumb nut.

   Finger plate, a strip of metal, glass, etc., to protect a painted or polished door from finger marks.

   Finger post, a guide post bearing an index finger.

   Finger reading, reading printed in relief so as to be sensible to the touch; -- so made for the blind.

   Finger shell (Zo["o]l.), a marine shell ( Pholas dactylus) resembling a finger in form.

   Finger sponge (Zo["o]l.), a sponge having finger-shaped lobes, or branches.

   Finger stall, a cover or shield for a finger.

   Finger steel, a steel instrument for whetting a currier's knife.

   To burn one's fingers. See under Burn.

   To have a finger in, to be concerned in. [Colloq.]

   To have at one's fingers' ends, to be thoroughly familiar with. [Colloq.]

n. A small bowl of warm water placed at each seat at a fancy dinner for the guests to rinse their fingers with between courses.

n. small bowl for rinsing the fingers at table

A finger bowl is a bowl of water used for rinsing one's fingers between courses during formal, multiple course meals. It is typically served before the dessert course, arriving with the dessert plate and with a linen doily between plate and bowl. A glass ornament, flower, flower petals, lemon slice, sprig of mint or other decoration is often floated in it. It is especially useful when the main course involves food which cannot be eaten entirely with silverware, such as lobster, clams, or corn on the cob.

This custom starts with the delivery of the dessert plate with finger bowl and silverware, as one unit. "This is the only time during a formal meal that a guest takes part in placing the appointments for a course"; that is, they are responsible for moving the silverware and finger bowl (together with doily) off of the dessert plate. The bowl is "less than half" or as much as "three-quarters" filled with water. Guests lightly dip fingertips into the water, one hand at a time, and then wipe them on the napkin below the table.

As with most formal customs of etiquette, there are considered to be right and wrong ways to present and use a finger bowl, and these can differ. The acceptability of floating lemon or of using the finger bowl to wet the mouth, for example, are disputed. Unfamiliarity with this custom has led to many common faux pas, including drinking the water, eating the flower, or failing to move the doily with the bowl when shifting it off of the dessert plate.

The decline of the finger bowl in American restaurants was due the war effort during World War I when everyone was encouraged to minimize excess. However before that, "live music and finger bowls were two amenities put forward as competitive attractions over places that didn’t have them."

A finger bowl that carries the monogram of Ottoman Emperor Abdulhamid II is kept at the Corning Museum of Glass.