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fine

fine

66 4.9
Metal that is very pure and contains very little else
  • adjective
  • /faɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : puro
  • He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold.
  • fine metal

This is a Greek term meaning the non noble, the non fine, right.

Examples

  • The jeweler showcased a fine gold necklace that sparkled brilliantly.

  • So it's like a very fine, very fine oil.

  • That fine piece of steel you have back there.

  • Probably looking at some very fine jewelry.

  • "As we passed old, tired ships, I noticed many fine metal lines leading from them into the water.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Then he sent them an invitation on fine paper to visit him.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • 1,000 pounds and this fine gold watch here.

  • Would you care for a fine Wagyu steak?

  • "I just bought some particularly fine diamonds which are being set in a bracelet right now.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Since you're trying to impress, be sure your tunic is made of fine linen or better yet, silk.

Synonyms

select
vsfine
  • Formal
8 3.7

Very good quality and better than most others

is about intrinsic purity rather than being chosen among items
superfine
vsfine
1 5.3

Very high quality and delicate, often used for cloth or food

is high in purity but not as extreme in degree

Antonyms

525 1.0

Not clean or covered with dirt

2 4.2

Containing other unwanted substances so it is not clean

Idioms

Look through something very carefully to find small mistakes

A phrase said to show something would be nice but is very unlikely to happen

To do something very well after a lot of practice

Looks very smart and attractive

Very wet, rainy weather that ducks like

9.9

Very small, delicate, and of excellent quality

Nice clothes make a person look more impressive

Compounds

55 5.1

A small difference that is hard to see between similar things

37 4.4

Small printed text in a contract that tells important rules or extra costs

21 2.0

Having an attractive appearance

20 4.1

Things people make mainly to be beautiful and admired, like paintings or sculptures

14 3.9

A special, fancy meal at a high quality restaurant

13 3.5

A high-quality drink made from grapes that often improves with age

11 3.2

A kind of work that shows beauty and ideas, like painting or sculpture

A nickname for Norwich in England for its beautiful old buildings and lively arts

fine-tooth comb
  • Informal
7 4.3

A careful search that finds small mistakes or details

2 4.1

A very careful check of something to find small errors

1 5.0

With many very small teeth close together, like a comb or saw

1 3.7

An amount of money a person or company must pay as punishment for breaking a law

A university degree for artists, writers and performers after a first degree

1 3.1

Tiny drops of liquid that float in the air

1 3.9

A very good strong drink made from grain and aged in wooden barrels

1 6.5

A pet bird often kept and loved like a parrot

1 2.3

A small amount of money you pay when you return library books late

fine structure
  • Specialized
1 9.1

A group of very close lines in the light from an atom that show small energy differences

fine thing
  • Informal
1 7.2

Something very good or lucky that you doubt will happen

Taking pictures as art to show the artist's personal vision

Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Specialized
6.3

A special degree that a university gives to people for work in the fine arts

Pictures taken with a camera to show an artist's personal vision, not for news or sale

A careful look at small parts to find tiny differences

A surface made of very small, closely packed grains that feels smooth

A comb with very close teeth used to remove lice from hair

A garden tool with many close teeth for gathering leaves and small debris

A low shrub with thin leaves and purple-red flowers that grows on open, poor soil

A careful, detailed check of a document or record to find small errors

A small tool with very close teeth used to remove lice or untangle hair

9.9

A climbing small bush from the southeastern United States with large red-purple bell-shaped flowers

How Pure

pure
390 1.0
fine
  • Specialized
66 4.9
refined
  • Specialized
1 3.5
impure
2 4.2
alloyed
  • Specialized
6.1

Surface Forms

fine positive
finer comparative
finest superlative

Etymology

Fine used to mean 'pure' or 'perfect' and comes from Latin finis, 'end', and Old French fin, so fine metal means it is very pure and free from other metals.