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finish

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To finish is defined as to complete, use up or give the final touches to.

(verb)

An example of to finish is completing a race.
An example of to finish is eating the last cookie.
An example of to finish is finding the spot for the last piece to a puzzle.

The definition of a finish is a desired effect on a surface.

(noun)

An example of a finish is lacquer.

See finish in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

1. to bring to an end; complete: to finish the work
2. to come to the end of: to finish a book
to use up; consume entirely: finish your milk
to give final touches to; embellish or perfect
to treat (a cut edge, esp. of a garment), as by pinking, serging, or binding, in order to prevent raveling
to give (cloth, leather, wood, etc.) a desired surface effect
1. to cause the defeat, collapse, death, etc. of
2. to render worthless, useless, helpless, etc.

Origin: ME finishen < extended stem of OFr finir < L finire, to end < finis, an end, limit, orig., boundary (post), something fixed in the ground < IE base *dhīgw-, to stick in > dike, L figere, fix

intransitive verb

to come to an end; terminate
to complete something being done
to complete a contest in a specified position: to finish last

noun

the last part; end
anything used to give a desired surface effect, as paint, varnish, polish, wax, etc.
completeness; perfection
the manner or method of completion
the way in which the surface, as of furniture, is painted, varnished, smoothed, polished, etc.
refinement as in manners, speech, etc.; polish in social or cultural matters
defeat, collapse, etc. or that which brings it about; downfall
the taste a wine leaves in the mouth after it has been swallowed
Carpentry joiner work, as the installation of doors, stairs, panels, etc., which completes the interior of a building

Related Forms:

finisher noun

See finish in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb fin·ished, fin·ish·ing, fin·ish·es

verb, transitive

To arrive at or attain the end of: finish a race.
To bring to an end; terminate: finished cleaning the room.
To consume all of; use up: finish a pie.
To bring to a desired or required state: finish a painting. See Synonyms at complete.
To give (wood, for example) a desired or particular surface texture.
To destroy; kill: finished the injured horse with a bullet.
To bring about the ruin of: The stock market crash finished many speculators.

verb, intransitive

To come to an end; stop.
To reach the end of a task, course, or relationship.

noun

The final part; the conclusion: racers neck-and-neck at the finish.
The reason for one's ruin; downfall.
Something that completes, concludes, or perfects, especially:
a. The last treatment or coating of a surface: applied a shellac finish to the cabinet.
b. The surface texture produced by such a treatment or coating.
c. A material used in surfacing or finishing.
Completeness, refinement, or smoothness of execution; polish.
The flavor left in the mouth after wine has been swallowed.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English finishen

Origin: , from Old French finir, finiss-, to complete

Origin: , from Latin fīnīre

Origin: , from fīnis, end

Related Forms: