A fist is the shape of a hand when the fingers are bent inward against the palm and held there tightly. To make or clench a fist is to fold the fingers tightly into the center of the palm and then to clamp the thumb over the middle phalanges; in contrast to this "closed" fist, one keeps the fist "open" by holding the thumb against the side of the index finger. One uses the closed fist to punch the lower phalanges against a surface, or to pound with the little-finger side of the hand's heel; one uses the open fist to knock with the middle knuckle of the middle finger.
Speakers of some English dialects may use the word "nieve" or "neef" to refer to a fist.
At least one study has claimed that the clenching of one's fist can be Mnemonic.
Some studies have shown that making fists can help humans to cope with stress or anxiety because the mind gets preoccupied with the tightening of the muscle to focus on the issue at hand.
Improper formation of the fist while punching or striking an object can cause bruising and broken small bones in the hand known as Boxer's fracture. Boxer's Fracture occurs when metacarpals or small bones in the hand break on the side of the pinky and ring finger. The name derives from the fact that such injuries are most common in boxers and practitioners of other fighting arts.
Various phenomena include the term "fist" in their name, such as the sexual act of fisting and the fist bump greeting.
Pounding one's fist on the table is often done when frustrated. In 1983, Don Francis was at a meeting with the CDC to discuss about the transmission of AIDS through blood transfusions. When his colleagues ignored the warnings, Don Francis pounded his fist on the table demanding to know, how many deaths did we need before we acted?
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