Semantics

Одќн из учђстников экспедќции отморћзил себљ пђльцы на рукђх. One of the members of the expedition got frostbitten fingers.
Russian differs from English in that the word пђлец may mean either "finger" or "toe." Only the meaning "finger" is described in this entry, as well as the corresponding part of an animal's paw, "digit." Common sense will dictate which words and expressions can be used to refer to an animal's digits. Because of the potential ambiguity of the Russian word пђлец "finger; toe" the following four expressions are used to distinguish between toes and fingers:
пђльцы рџкg (or на рукђхp) fingers
пђльцы нћгg (or на ногђхp) toes
Without any such indication and without a clear context, the word пђлец is more likely to be understood to mean "finger" than "toe."

The word пђлец may also refer to the finger of a glove or mitten, a meaning not described in this dictionary.