The name of the date fruit derives originally from the Greek word for what part of the body?

'Phoenix dactylifera', commonly known as date or date palm, is a flowering plant species in the palm family, 'Arecaceae', cultivated for its edible sweet fruit. The species is widely cultivated across Northern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and is naturalized in many tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.

The species name 'dactylifera' "date-bearing" comes from the Greek words 'daktylos' (δάκτυλος), which means "date" (also "finger"), and 'fero' (φέρω), which means "I bear". The fruit is known as a date. The fruit's English name (through Old French), as well as the Latin both come from the Greek word for "finger", δάκτυλος, because of the fruit's elongated shape.

Date trees typically reach about 21–23 metres (69–75 ft) in height, growing singly or forming a clump with several stems from a single root system. Date fruits (dates) are oval-cylindrical, 3 to 7 centimetres (1 to 3 in) long, and about 2.5 centimetres (1 in) in diameter, with colour ranging from bright red to bright yellow, depending on variety. Containing 61–68 percent sugar by mass when dried, dates are very sweet and are enjoyed as desserts on their own or within confections.