Library / English Dictionary

FIN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: finned    , finning   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Organ of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

appendage; extremity; member (an external body part that projects from the body)

Meronyms (parts of "fin"):

ray (any of the stiff bony spines in the fin of a fish)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fin"):

dorsal fin (unpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates that help to maintain balance)

pectoral fin (either of a pair of fins situated just behind the head in fishes that help control the direction of movement)

pelvic fin; ventral fin (either of a pair of fins attached to the pelvic girdle in fishes that help control the direction of movement; correspond to hind limbs of a land vertebrate)

caudal fin; tail fin (the tail of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates)

Holonyms ("fin" is a part of...):

fish (any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills)

Derivation:

fin (show the fins above the water while swimming)

fin (propel oneself through the water in a finning motion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A stabilizer on a ship that resembles the fin of a fish

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

stabiliser; stabilizer (a device for making something stable)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "fin"):

vane (a fin attached to the tail of an arrow, bomb or missile in order to stabilize or guide it)

Holonyms ("fin" is a part of...):

ship (a vessel that carries passengers or freight)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater)

Synonyms:

fin; flipper

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

shoe (footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material)

Derivation:

fin (propel oneself through the water in a finning motion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

One of a set of parallel slats in a door or window to admit air and reject rain

Synonyms:

fin; louver; louvre

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

slat; spline (a thin strip (wood or metal))

Holonyms ("fin" is a part of...):

jalousie (a shutter made of angled slats)

Sense 5

Meaning:

One of a pair of decorations projecting above the rear fenders of an automobile

Synonyms:

fin; tail fin; tailfin

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

decoration; ornament; ornamentation (something used to beautify)

Holonyms ("fin" is a part of...):

auto; automobile; car; machine; motorcar (a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine)

Derivation:

fin (equip (a car) with fins)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

Synonyms:

5; cinque; fin; five; fivesome; Little Phoebe; pentad; Phoebe; quint; quintet; quintuplet; V

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Hypernyms ("fin" is a kind of...):

digit; figure (one of the elements that collectively form a system of numeration)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Show the fins above the water while swimming

Example:

The sharks were finning near the surface

Synonyms:

break water; fin

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fin" is one way to...):

swim (travel through water)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

fin (organ of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animals)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Propel oneself through the water in a finning motion

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "fin" is one way to...):

swim (travel through water)

Domain category:

aquatics; water sport (sports that involve bodies of water)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

fin (organ of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animals)

fin (a shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Equip (a car) with fins

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Hypernyms (to "fin" is one way to...):

equip; fit; fit out; outfit (provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

fin (one of a pair of decorations projecting above the rear fenders of an automobile)

Credits

 Context examples: 

Fishermen engaged in illegal fishing of sharks usually resort to finning: cutting off the caught sharks’ fins and throwing the sharks back into the water, where they die in agony.

(New way to save endangered sharks – and our seafood, SciDev.Net)

And I shall know that I must die, at sea most likely, cease crawling of myself to be all a-crawl with the corruption of the sea; to be fed upon, to be carrion, to yield up all the strength and movement of my muscles that it may become strength and movement in fin and scale and the guts of fishes.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)