The Collaborative International Dictionary
fine \fine\ (f[imac]n), a. [Compar. finer (f[imac]n"[~e]r); superl. finest.] [F. fin, LL. finus fine, pure, fr. L. finire to finish; cf. finitus, p. p., finished, completed (hence the sense accomplished, perfect.) See Finish, and cf. Finite.]
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Finished; brought to perfection; refined; hence, free from impurity; excellent; superior; elegant; worthy of admiration; accomplished; beautiful.
The gain thereof [is better] than fine gold.
--Prov. iii. 14.A cup of wine that's brisk and fine.
--Shak.Not only the finest gentleman of his time, but one of the finest scholars.
--Felton.To soothe the sick bed of so fine a being [Keats].
--Leigh Hunt. -
Aiming at show or effect; loaded with ornament; overdressed or overdecorated; showy.
He gratified them with occasional . . . fine writing.
--M. Arnold. -
Nice; delicate; subtle; exquisite; artful; skillful; dexterous.
The spider's touch, how exquisitely fine!
--Pope.The nicest and most delicate touches of satire consist in fine raillery.
--Dryden.He has as fine a hand at picking a pocket as a woman.
--T. Gray. -
Not coarse, gross, or heavy; as:
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Not gross; subtile; thin; tenous.
The eye standeth in the finer medium and the object in the grosser.
--Bacon. Not coarse; comminuted; in small particles; as, fine sand or flour.
Not thick or heavy; slender; filmy; as, a fine thread.
Thin; attenuate; keen; as, a fine edge.
Made of fine materials; light; delicate; as, fine linen or silk.
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Having (such) a proportion of pure metal in its composition; as, coins nine tenths fine.
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(Used ironically.)
Ye have made a fine hand, fellows.
--Shak.Note: Fine is often compounded with participles and adjectives, modifying them adverbially; a, fine-drawn, fine-featured, fine-grained, fine-spoken, fine-spun, etc.
Fine arch (Glass Making), the smaller fritting furnace of a glasshouse.
--Knight.Fine arts. See the Note under Art.
Fine cut, fine cut tobacco; a kind of chewing tobacco cut up into shreds.
Fine goods, woven fabrics of fine texture and quality.
--McElrath.Fine stuff, lime, or a mixture of lime, plaster, etc., used as material for the finishing coat in plastering.
To sail fine (Naut.), to sail as close to the wind as possible.
Syn: Fine, Beautiful.
Usage: When used as a word of praise, fine (being opposed to coarse) denotes no ``ordinary thing of its kind.'' It is not as strong as beautiful, in reference to the single attribute implied in the latter term; but when we speak of a fine woman, we include a greater variety of particulars, viz., all the qualities which become a woman, -- breeding, sentiment, tact, etc. The term is equally comprehensive when we speak of a fine garden, landscape, horse, poem, etc.; and, though applied to a great variety of objects, the word has still a very definite sense, denoting a high degree of characteristic excellence.