Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sum of money required to be paid especially to the government as a penalty for an offense.
  • noun Obsolete An end; a termination.
  • transitive verb To require the payment of a fine from; impose a fine on.
  • idiom (in fine) In conclusion; finally.
  • idiom (in fine) In summation; in brief.
  • adjective Of superior quality, skill, or appearance.
  • adjective Excellent in character or ability.
  • adjective Very small in size, weight, or thickness.
  • adjective Free from impurities.
  • adjective Metallurgy Containing pure metal in a specified proportion or amount.
  • adjective Very sharp; keen.
  • adjective Thin; slender.
  • adjective Carefully or delicately made or done: synonym: exquisite.
  • adjective Consisting of very small particles; not coarse.
  • adjective Marginally different or subtle.
  • adjective Able to make or detect effects of great subtlety or precision; sensitive.
  • adjective Trained to the highest degree of physical efficiency.
  • adjective Characterized by refinement or elegance.
  • adjective Satisfactory; acceptable.
  • adjective Being in a state of satisfactory health; quite well.
  • adjective Used as an intensive.
  • adverb Finely.
  • adverb Informal Very well.
  • transitive & intransitive verb To make or become finer, purer, or cleaner.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In general, finished; consummate; perfect in form or quality; polished, adroit, in manner or action; delicate, slender, minute, thin, rare, in size, proportion, or consistence: opposed to coarse, gross, crude, rough, unfinished, etc.
  • Specifically Excellent or perfect in form, style, or aspect; beautiful; attractive; showy: as, a man of fine appearance; a fine horse; a fine house or landscape; a fine display of flags.
  • Exquisite or elegant in manner, action, appearance, or use; making or constituting an attractive or imposing display; aiming to please; pleasing; gratifying: as, a fine lady or gentleman; fine feathers make fine birds; fine clothes or furniture.
  • Perfect or excellent in kind; suitable or admirable in character or quality; very fit or proper; superior: as, fine roads; fine weather; fine sport; a fine entertainment.
  • Of exquisite quality; refined; choice; elegant; delicate; dainty: as, a fine compliment; a fine wine; fine workmanship; fine texture; fine manners.
  • Attracting pleased or interested attention; admirable; notable; remarkable; striking: often ironical: as, some fine day you will discover your mistake.
  • Expert in knowledge or action; accomplished; skilled or skilful; adroit; apt; handy: as, a fine actor or musician; a fine scholar or workman.
  • Delicate in perception or feeling; nicely discriminating; acutely susceptible to impressions: as, a fine wit; a fine taste; a fine sense of color.
  • Minutely precise or exact; subtle: as, a fine distinction; a fine point in an argument.
  • Free from foreign matter; without dross or feculence or other impurities; clear; pure; refined: as, fine gold; fine oil.
  • Delicate or choice in material, texture, or style; light, thin, elegant, tasteful, etc., according to the nature of the thing spoken of: as, fine silk or wool; fine linen or cambric.
  • Thin in consistence; subtile; rare; tenuous: as, fine spirits evaporate rapidly.
  • Consisting of minute particles, grains, drops, flakes, etc.: as, fine sand or flour; fine rain or snow; fine shot.
  • Very small in girth or diameter; slender; attenuated: as, fine thread; fine wire; a fine hair; a fine needle.
  • Keen; sharp; easily penetrating: as, the fine edge of a razor; a fine point, as of a needle or a thorn.
  • Sheer; mere; pure; absolute: in the old phrase fine force.
  • A casting from a mold in the preparation of which special care has been taken. See figure-casting.
  • To bring to an end.
  • To subject to a pecuniary penalty; set a fine upon, as by judgment of a court or by any competent authority; punish by fine: as, jurors are fined for non-attendance; absent members are fined.
  • To pay by way of fine or fee.
  • To pledge; pawn.
  • To condemn; pronounce judgment against.
  • To come to an end; end; cease.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English fin, from Old French, settlement, compensation, from Medieval Latin fīnis, from Latin, end.]

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English fin, from Old French, from Latin fīnis, end, supreme degree.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian fine ("end").

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Old French finer, French finir. See finish (transitive verb).

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English fin, from Old French fin ("fine, minute, exact"), probably, from Latin finitus ("literally finished (used as an adjective by Cicero, of words, well rounded)"), past participle of finere ("to limit, bound, define, terminate, finish"), from finis ("a limit, end").

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Examples

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  • "Fine as a cow turd stuck with primroses."

    - Francis Grose, 'The Vulgar Tongue'.

    September 6, 2008