fine1

[fahyn] /faɪn/
adjective, finer, finest.
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), fined, fining.
23.
to become fine or finer, as by refining.
24.
to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often followed by down):
The plumpness fines down with exercise.
verb (used with object), fined, fining.
25.
to make fine or finer, especially 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.
  1. Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen.
    Compare short (def 29e).
  2. Agriculture. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.
Idioms
29.
cut fine, to calculate precisely, especially without allowing for possible error or accident:
To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English fin < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin 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.

fine2

[fahyn] /faɪn/
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), fined, fining.
5.
to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine:
The judge fined him and released him on parole.
Idioms
6.
in fine,
  1. in short; briefly.
  2. in conclusion; finally:
    It was, in fine, a fitting end to the story.
Origin
1150-1200; Middle English fin < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin fīnis end, Medieval Latin: settlement, payment

fine3

[fee-ney] /ˈfi neɪ/
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; < Italian < Latin fīnis end

fine4

[feen] /fin/
noun
1.
ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.
Origin
1920-25; short for French fine (champagne) de la maison bar brandy. Cf. Fine Champagne
Examples from the web for fine
  • Thanks to fine volcanic ash, however, this spider was squashed without breaking up its delicate exoskeleton.
  • Many physicists are uncomfortable with any theory that requires such delicate fine-tuning to work.
  • Discriminating gourmets will find these five courses make an elegant lunch or supper, or an equally fine dinner for a hot night.
  • He's been a slightly above-average hitter over his career and plays a fine outfield.
  • The fine print of its stated practices notes that in some cases, material is completely spiked from the record.
  • Espresso coffee requires as much technology and taste as fine wine.
  • None of the companies have released a statement about the case or the fine.
  • Disappear from your desk for a coffee run or a smoke break---that's fine.
  • Most tasters found it unsuitable for drinking but fine for cooking.
  • If you want to give a one-sentence summary of your interests and your qualifications, that's fine.
British Dictionary definitions for fine

fine1

/faɪn/
adjective
1.
excellent or choice in quality; very good of its kind: a fine speech
2.
superior in skill, ability, or accomplishment: a fine violinist
3.
(of weather) clear and dry
4.
enjoyable or satisfying: a fine time
5.
(postpositive) (informal) quite well; in satisfactory health: I feel fine
6.
satisfactory; acceptable: that's fine by me
7.
of delicate composition or careful workmanship: fine crystal
8.
(of precious metals) pure or having a high or specified degree of purity: fine silver, gold 98 per cent fine
9.
subtle in perception; discriminating: a fine eye for antique brasses
10.
abstruse or subtle: a fine point in argument
11.
very thin or slender: fine hair
12.
very small: fine dust, fine print
13.
(of edges, blades, etc) sharp; keen
14.
ornate, showy, or smart
15.
good-looking; handsome: a fine young woman
16.
polished, elegant, or refined: a fine gentleman
17.
morally upright and commendable: a fine man
18.
(cricket) (of a fielding position) oblique to and behind the wicket: fine leg
19.
(prenominal) (informal) disappointing or terrible: a fine mess
adverb
20.
(informal) quite well; all right: that suits me fine
21.
a nonstandard word for finely
22.
(billiards, snooker) (of a stroke on the cue ball) so as to merely brush the object ball
23.
cut it fine, to allow little margin of time, space, etc
verb
24.
to make or become finer; refine
25.
often foll by down or away. to make or become smaller
26.
(transitive) to clarify (wine, etc) by adding finings
27.
(transitive) (billiards, snooker) to hit (a cue ball) fine
28.
(Austral & NZ, informal) (intransitive) foll by up. (of the weather) to become fine
Word Origin
C13: from Old French fin, from Latin fīnis end, boundary, as in fīnis honōrum the highest degree of honour

fine2

/faɪn/
noun
1.
a certain amount of money exacted as a penalty: a parking fine
2.
a payment made by a tenant at the start of his tenancy to reduce his subsequent rent; premium
3.
(feudal law) a sum of money paid by a man to his lord, esp for the privilege of transferring his land to another
4.
a method of transferring land in England by bringing a fictitious law suit: abolished 1833
5.
in fine
  1. in short; briefly
  2. in conclusion; finally
verb
6.
(transitive) to impose a fine on
Word Origin
C12 (in the sense: conclusion, settlement): from Old French fin; see fine1

fine3

/ˈfiːneɪ/
noun (music)
1.
the point at which a piece is to end, usually after a da capo or dal segno
2.
an ending or finale
Word Origin
Italian, from Latin fīnis end

fine4

/fin/
noun
1.
brandy of ordinary quality
Word Origin
literally: fine
Word Origin and History for fine
adj.

mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure; of superior quality," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), from Latin finis "end, limit" (see finish); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good."

In French, the main meaning remains "delicate, intricately skillful;" in English since mid-15c. fine is also a general expression of admiration or approval, the equivalent of French beau (cf. fine arts, 1767, translating French beaux-arts). Finer; finest. Fine print is from 1861 as "type small and close-set;" by 1934 as "qualifications and limitations of a deal."

n.

c.1200, "termination," from Old French fin "end, limit, boundary; death; fee, payment, finance, money" (10c.), from Medieval Latin finis "a payment in settlement, fine or tax," from Latin finis "end" (see finish).

Modern meaning is via sense of "sum of money paid for exemption from punishment or to compensate for injury" (mid-14c., from the same sense in Anglo-French, late 13c.) and from phrases such as to make fine "make one's peace, settle a matter" (c.1300). Meaning "sum of money imposed as penalty for some offense" is first recorded 1520s.

v.

late 13c., "pay as a ransom or penalty," from fine (n.). Inverted meaning "to punish by a fine" is from 1550s. Related: Fined; fining.

Slang definitions & phrases for fine

fine

adjective

Attractive; dishy, hunky: if a guy or girl is cute, they're a ''hottie'' or ''fine''

[1990s+ Teenagers; a revival of 1940s bop and cool use, from black, ''pleasing, wonderful, exciting, cool'']


Idioms and Phrases with fine

fine

also see: