fine1 /faɪn/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fahyn] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, fin·er, fin·est, adverb, verb, fined, fin·ing, noun
–adjective
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.
–adverb
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. Nautical. as close as possible to the wind: sailing fine.
–verb (used without object)
23. to become fine or finer, as by refining.
24. to become less, as in size or proportions; reduce; diminish (often fol. by down): The plumpness fines down with exercise.
–verb (used with object)
25. to make fine or finer, esp. by refining or pulverizing.
26. 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.
27. to clarify (wines or spirits) by filtration.
–noun
28. fines,
a. Mining. crushed ore sufficiently fine to pass through a given screen. Compare short (def. 29a).
b. Agriculture. the fine bits of corn kernel knocked off during handling of the grain.
—Idiom
29. cut fine, to calculate precisely, esp. without allowing for possible error or accident: To finish in ten minutes is to cut it too fine.