fine

fine¹

/fuyn/, adj., finer, finest, adv., v., fined, fining, n.

adj.

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.

adv.

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. Naut. as close as possible to the wind: sailing fine.

23. cut fine, to calculate precisely, esp. without allowing for possible error or accident: To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.

v.i.

24. to become fine or finer, as by refining.

25. to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often fol. by down): The plumpness fines down with exercise.

v.t.

26. to make fine or finer, esp. by refining or pulverizing.

27. 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.

28. to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.

n.

29. fines,

a. Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen. Cf. short (def. 37a).

b. Agric. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.

[1250-1300; ME fin < AF, OF < L finis end, utmost limit, highest point]

Syn. 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.

Ant. 1. inferior.

fine²

/fuyn/, n., v., fined, fining.

n.

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. Eng. Law. (formerly) a conveyance of land through decree of a court, based upon a simulated lawsuit.

4. Archaic. a penalty of any kind.

5. in fine,

a. in short; briefly.

b. in conclusion; finally: It was, in fine, a fitting end to the story.

v.t.

6. to subject to a fine or pecuniary penalty; punish by a fine: The judge fined him and released him on parole.

[1150-1200; ME fin < AF, OF < L finis end, ML: settlement, payment]

fine³

/fee"nay/, n. Music.

1. the end of a repeated section, whether da capo or dal segno.

2. the end of a composition that comprises several movements.

[1790-1800; < It < L finis end]

fine⁴

/feen/, n.

ordinary French brandy, usually with no indication of the maker's name or location.

[1920-25; short for F fine (champagne) de la maison bar brandy. Cf. FINE CHAMPAGNE]

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