4 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Fine \Fine\, a. [Compar. {Finer}; 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}.]
1. 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.
2. Aiming at show or effect; loaded with ornament;
overdressed or overdecorated showy.
He gratified them with occasional . . . fine
writing. --M. Arnold.
3. 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.
4. Not coarse, gross, or heavy; as:
a Not gross; subtile; thin; tenous.
The eye standeth in the finer medium and the
object in the grosser. --Bacon.
b Not coarse; comminuted; in small particles; as fine
sand or flour.
c Not thick or heavy; slender; filmy; as a fine thread.
d Thin; attenuate; keen; as a fine edge.
e Made of fine materials; light; delicate; as fine
linen or silk.
5. Having such a proportion of pure metal in its
composition; as coins nine tenths fine.
6. (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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Finer \Fin"er\, n.
One who fines or purifies.
From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]:
finer
adj : (comparative of `fine') greater in quality or excellence; "a
finer wine"; "a finer musician"
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Finer
a worker in silver and gold (Prov. 25:4). In Judg. 17:4 the word
tsoreph is rendered "founder," and in Isa. 41:7 "goldsmith."
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