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fine 1 (fīn)
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adj. fin·er, fin·est
1.
a. Of superior quality, skill, or appearance: a fine day; a fine wine.
b. Excellent in character or ability: a fine person; a fine writer.
2. Very small in size, weight, or thickness: fine type; fine paper.
3.
a. Free from impurities.
b. Metallurgy Containing pure metal in a specified proportion or amount: gold 21 carats fine.
4. Very sharp; keen: a blade with a fine edge.
5. Thin; slender: fine hairs.
6. Carefully or delicately made or done: fine china. See Synonyms at exquisite.
7. Consisting of very small particles; not coarse: fine dust.
8.
a. Marginally different or subtle: a fine difference.
b. 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: people in the finest society.
11. Satisfactory; acceptable: Handing in your paper on Monday is fine.
12. Being in a state of satisfactory health; quite well: "How are you?" "I'm fine."
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.]
fineness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
fine 2 (fīn)
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n.
1. A sum of money required to be paid especially to the government as a penalty for an offense.
2. Obsolete An end; a termination.
tr.v. fined, fin·ing, fines
To require the payment of a fine from; impose a fine on.
Idiom:
in fine
1. In conclusion; finally.
2. In summation; in brief.
[Middle English fin, from Old French, settlement, compensation, from Medieval Latin fīnis, from Latin, end.]
fina·ble, finea·ble adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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