I. ˈfinish, -nēsh, chiefly in pres part -nəsh verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
Etymology: Middle English finisshen, from Middle French feniss-, finiss-, stem of fenir, finir, from Latin finire to limit, finish, end, from finis boundary, limit, end — more at final
transitive verb
1.
a. : to bring to an end : arrive at the end of : terminate , complete
he finished speaking, and a long silence fell
he finished his days in poverty and loneliness
a rapid reader, he can finish a chapter in a few minutes
b. : to use, consume, or dispose of entirely
he finished the meal to the last crumb — Louis Bromfield
— often used with off
the sailors lounging in the bar began to finish off their drinks — Allen Upward
c. : to serve as the close or last item of
a pleasant wine finishes the meal, nicely accenting the dessert
a thrilling 100-yard dash finished the meet
2.
a. : to expend the final labors on : bring to completion or issue
tried to finish the work his illustrious predecessor had started
b. : to perform completely : perfect with all possible labor and attention : give the ultimate touches to
he always spoke in completed sentences … he finished his thought — W.A.White
— often used with up
advised him to finish up the painting a little before exhibiting
c. : to complete the education of ; especially : to prepare (a young woman) for entrance into society
she received her finishing in Paris
d. : to fatten (an animal) especially for the market
e. : to put on as a finish
all interior walls are finished with lime plaster — American Guide Series: Minnesota
f. : to cut, sort, trim, count, and pack (paper after it leaves the paper machine)
g. : to tool the title and decoration on (a hand-bound book)
h.
(1) : to give (as cloth) special characteristics that improve appearance and usefulness by processing (as mercerizing, fulling, calendering, embossing)
(2) : to complete work on (a garment) ; especially : to finish (a raw edge) by hemming, pinking, overcasting, facing
i. : to subject (newly formed soap or a kettle of soap) to the processes of fitting and settling
3.
a. : to bring to an end the significance, usefulness, or effectiveness of : exhaust the power, worth, or vitality of : deal a mortal blow to
the combination of … unfamiliar car, narrow streets, and strange town will just about finish you — Richard Joseph
his stunning defeat finished the young congressman as a political force
— often used with off
the romance of chivalry was already moribund and the new economic and social trends finished it off
b.
(1) : to bring about the death of : kill
after wounding me with his spear he was about to finish me with his knife — W.H.Hudson †1922
— often used with off
his woman finished him off … with a skinning knife — Walter O'Meara
(2) : to bring about the decisive or final defeat of
the cavalry charge finished the enemy; they broke and ran
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to come to an end : terminate , end
the Civil War finished in 1865
until British rule finished one had to obtain a visa from the British Foreign Office — W.B.Fisher
b.
(1) : to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking : complete a task or assignment
it was noon, and he still had not finished
he finished by reciting a cycle of sonnets
I shall finish with a Chopin nocturne — Lillian Hellman
— often used with up
you can finish up now
(2) : to finish a race or other competition in a certain manner or position
the gelding finished strong and lost only by a nose
he finished third in the oratorical contest
c. : to have a certain issue or outcome : result
any illness must finish fatally for him — Osbert Sitwell
2. : to become smooth (as of lumber)
3. : to attend a finishing school
4. of an animal : to become suitably fat for marketing
Synonyms: see close
•
- finish with
II. noun
( -es )
1.
a. : the final stage : conclusion , end
a fight to the finish
flaunted the riskiest of their stunts and then … broke into their whirlwind finish — Winifred Bambrick
turned a slow start into a fast finish
b. : the cause of one's ruin : downfall
his taste for gambling was his finish
2. : something that finishes, completes, or perfects: as
a.
(1) : the joiner work and other fine work required for the completion of a building especially of the interior — see inside finish , outside finish
(2) : the higher grade of lumber used for this work — called also uppers
(3) : decorative surface treatment (as on paper, wood, stone, brick, plaster, or stucco)
(4) : a finishing material used in painting
oil finish
— see finishing coat
b. : the labor required for the last stage (as of a work of art)
the sculptor is now doing the finish on this splendid head
c. : a plain or decorative method of completing a part or an edge of a garment by use of a hem, binding, arrowhead, edging
d. : fat ; especially : the layer of fat lying beneath the skin of an animal well fattened for market or show
e. : the top or closure part of a glass container including the pouring lip and the threads or other means of attaching or inserting a closure
f. : the final treatment or coating of a surface
3.
a. : the result or product of a finishing process especially with regard to its quality, appearance, or characteristics
a fabric with a water-resistant finish
a cloth with a glazed finish
paper with a glossy finish
specifically : the state of a surface (as of furniture or pottery) after the tool marks have been obliterated
b. : fit VI 3
c. : the quality or state of being perfected or minutely elaborated : impeccable, finished, or flawless quality : perfection
the exquisite finish of this artist's work
the machine … worked with neither the accuracy nor the finish of these girls — Sam Pollock
his novels have a finish , a flavor, that the cultivated recognize and relish
at the age of 60 he danced … and still displayed great finish and fine style — Anatole Chujoy
d. : cultivation in manners and speech : social polish
III. noun
of a beverage : the taste left in the mouth after swallowing
a wine with a long dry finish