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fine

fine

1 4.9
Metal that is very pure and contains very little else
  • adjective
  • /faɪn/
  • Specialized
: 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
3 3.7

Very good quality and better than most others

is about intrinsic purity rather than being chosen among items
superfine
vsfine
2 5.3

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

is high in purity but not as extreme in degree

Antonyms

446 1.0

Not clean or covered with dirt

6 4.2

Containing other unwanted substances so it is not clean

Idioms

Look through something very carefully to find small mistakes

To do something very well after a lot of practice

1 9.9

Very small, delicate, and of excellent quality

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

Nice clothes make a person look more impressive

Looks very smart and attractive

Very wet, rainy weather that ducks like

Compounds

62 5.1

A small difference that is hard to see between similar things

39 4.4

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

35 3.2

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

22 4.1

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

21 2.0

Having an attractive appearance

21 3.5

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

17 3.9

A special, fancy meal at a high quality restaurant

fine thing
  • Informal
10 7.2

Something very good or lucky that you doubt will happen

fine-tooth comb
  • Informal
8 4.3

A careful search that finds small mistakes or details

3 5.0

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

3 4.1

A very careful check of something to find small errors

2 3.9

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

2 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 6.5

A pet bird often kept and loved like a parrot

1 3.1

Tiny drops of liquid that float in the air

1 2.3

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

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

Doctor of Fine Arts
  • Specialized
1 6.3

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

fine structure
  • Specialized
1 9.1

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

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

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

A careful look at small parts to find tiny differences

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

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

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

9.9

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

How Pure

pure
235 1.0
fine
  • Specialized
1 4.9
refined
  • Specialized
24 3.5
impure
6 4.2
alloyed
  • Specialized
1 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.