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fine

 - 13 dictionary results

fine

1  [fahyn] adjective, fin⋅er, fin⋅est, adverb, verb, fined, fin⋅ing, noun
Use fine in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of superior or best quality; of high or highest grade: fine wine.
2. choice, excellent, or admirable: a fine painting.
3. consisting of minute particles: fine sand; a fine purée.
4. very thin or slender: fine thread.
5. keen or sharp, as a tool: Is the knife fine enough to carve well?
6. delicate in texture; filmy: fine cotton fabric.
7. delicately fashioned: fine tracery.
8. highly skilled or accomplished: a fine musician.
9. trained to the maximum degree, as an athlete.
10. characterized by or affecting refinement or elegance: a fine lady.
11. polished or refined: fine manners.
12. affectedly ornate or elegant: A style so fine repels the average reader.
13. delicate or subtle: a fine distinction.
14. bright and clear: a fine day; fine skin.
15. healthy; well: In spite of his recent illness, he looks fine.
16. showy or smart; elegant in appearance: a bird of fine plumage.
17. good-looking or handsome: a fine young man.
18. (of a precious metal or its alloy) free from impurities or containing a large amount of pure metal: fine gold; Sterling silver is 92.5 percent fine.
–adverb
19. Informal. in an excellent manner; very well: He did fine on the exams. She sings fine.
20. very small: She writes so fine I can hardly read it.
21. Billiards, Pool. in such a way that the driven ball barely touches the object ball in passing.
22. Nautical. as close as possible to the wind: sailing fine.
–verb (used without object)
23. to become fine or finer, as by refining.
24. to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often fol. by down): The plumpness fines down with exercise.
–verb (used with object)
25. to make fine or finer, esp. by refining or pulverizing.
26. to reduce the size or proportions of (often used with down or away): to fine down the heavy features; to fine away superfluous matter in a design.
27. to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.
–noun
28. fines,
a. Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen. Compare short (def. 29a).
b. Agriculture. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.
—Idiom
29. cut fine, to calculate precisely, esp. without allowing for possible error or accident: To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME fin < AF, OF < L fīnis end, utmost limit, highest point

Synonyms:
1. finished, consummate, perfect; select. Fine, choice, elegant, exquisite are terms of praise with reference to quality. Fine is a general term: a fine horse, person, book. Choice implies a discriminating selection of the object in question: a choice piece of steak. Elegant suggests a refined and graceful superiority that is generally associated with luxury and a cultivated taste: elegant furnishings. Exquisite suggests an admirable delicacy, finish, or perfection: an exquisite piece of lace. 3. powdered, pulverized. 5. acute.

Antonyms:
1. inferior.

fine

2  [fahyn] noun, verb, fined, fin⋅ing.
–noun
1. a sum of money imposed as a penalty for an offense or dereliction: a parking fine.
2. Law. a fee paid by a feudal tenant to the landlord, as on the renewal of tenure.
3. English Law. (formerly) a conveyance of land through decree of a court, based upon a simulated lawsuit.
4. Archaic. a penalty of any kind.
–verb (used with object)
5. to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine: The judge fined him and released him on parole.
—Idiom
6. in fine,
a. in short; briefly.
b. in conclusion; finally: It was, in fine, a fitting end to the story.
Origin:
1150–1200; ME fin < AF, OF < L fīnis end, ML: settlement, payment

fi⋅ne

3  [fee-ney]
–noun Music.
1. the end of a repeated section, whether da capo or dal segno.
2. the end of a composition that comprises several movements.
Origin:
1790–1800; < It < L fīnis end

fine

4  [feen]
–noun
ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.
Origin:
1920–25; short for F fine (champagne) de la maison bar brandy. Cf. Fine Champagne
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To fine
fine 1   (fīn)   
adj.   fin·er, fin·est

  1. Of superior quality, skill, or appearance: a fine day; a fine writer.

  2. Very small in size, weight, or thickness: fine type; fine paper.

    1. Free from impurities.

    2. Metallurgy Containing pure metal in a specified proportion or amount: gold 21 carats fine.

    3. Subtle or precise: a fine difference.

    4. Able to make or detect effects of great subtlety or precision; sensitive: has a fine eye for color.

  4. Very sharp; keen: a blade with a fine edge.

  5. Thin; slender: fine hairs.

  6. Exhibiting careful and delicate artistry: fine china. See Synonyms at delicate.

  7. Consisting of very small particles; not coarse: fine dust.

    1. Subtle or precise: a fine difference.

    2. Able to make or detect effects of great subtlety or precision; sensitive: has a fine eye for color.

  9. Trained to the highest degree of physical efficiency: a fine racehorse.

  10. Characterized by refinement or elegance.

  11. Satisfactory; acceptable: Handing in your paper on Monday is fine.

  12. Being in a state of satisfactory health; quite well: I'm fine. And you?

  13. Used as an intensive: a fine mess.

adv.  

  1. Finely.

  2. Informal Very well: doing fine.

tr. & intr.v.   fined, fin·ing, fines
To make or become finer, purer, or cleaner.

[Middle English fin, from Old French, from Latin fīnis, end, supreme degree.]
fine'ness n.
fine 2   (fīn)   
n.  

  1. A sum of money required to be paid as a penalty for an offense.

  2. Law

    1. A forfeiture or penalty to be paid to the offended party in a civil action.

    2. An amicable settlement of a suit over land ownership.

  3. Obsolete An end; a termination.

tr.v.   fined, fin·ing, fines
To require the payment of a fine from; impose a fine on.

[Middle English fin, from Old French, settlement, compensation, from Medieval Latin fīnis, from Latin, end.]
fin'a·ble, fine'a·ble adj.
fi·ne 3   (fē'nā)   
n.   Music
The end.

[Italian, from Latin fīnis, end.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

fine  (adj.)
c.1300, from O.Fr. fin "perfected, of highest quality," from L. finis "end, limit," hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." In Fr., the main meaning remains "delicate, intricately skillful;" in Eng. since c.1440 fine is also a general expression of admiration or approval, the equiv. of Fr. beau (cf. fine arts, 1767, translating Fr. beaux-arts). Finery "gaudy decoration" is first attested 1680. Fine print "qualifications and limitations of a deal" first recorded 1960. Fine-tune (v.) is 1969, a back-formation from fine-tuning (1924), originally in reference to radio receivers.

fine  (n.)
c.1200, "termination," from O.Fr. fin "end," from M.L. finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from L. finis "end." Modern meaning is via sense of "sum of money paid for exemption from punishment or to compensate for injury" (c.1340, from the same sense in Anglo-Fr., 1292) and from phrases such as to make fine "make one's peace, settle a matter" (1297). Meaning "sum of money imposed as penalty for some offense" is first recorded 1529; the verb meaning "to punish by a fine" is from 1559.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: fine
Function: noun
Etymology: Anglo-French fin fine & Medieval Latin finis end, boundary, agreement, payment for release or privilege, monetary penalty, from Latin finis end, boundary
1 : a sum imposed as punishment for an offense —compare RESTITUTION
2 : a forfeiture or penalty paid to an injured party in a civil action

Main Entry: fine
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: fined; fin·ing
: to impose a fine on : punish by fine
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: fine
Pronunciation: 'fIn
Function: adjective
Inflected Forms: fin·er; fin·est
of bodily tremors : ofslight excursion
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

fine

In addition to the idioms beginning with fine, also see come on in (the water's fine); cut it fine; in fine feather.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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