A pinky is the smallest finger on your hand, the one farthest from your thumb. It's also called the little finger. Despite its small size, your pinky plays an important role in gripping things: try picking up a heavy book with just your thumb and three fingers, leaving your pinky out, and you'll notice how much weaker your grip feels.

The pinky has an interesting place in manners and culture. In some traditions, people extend their pinky when drinking tea from a delicate cup, though this is often exaggerated or mocked. Kids sometimes make promises by linking pinkies in a pinky swear or pinky promise, hooking their smallest fingers together as a sign that they really mean what they're saying.

The word can also describe things that are small or pink-colored, though this usage is less common. Some people call their pinky toe (the smallest toe on your foot) a pinky as well, though others just call it the little toe.