World Book 1997 4.0

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<HTML> <HEAD><TITLE>FINCH</TITLE></HEAD> <BODY BGCOLOR="#ffffff"> <A HREF="a.dic">A</A> <A HREF="b.dic">B</A> <A HREF="c.dic">C</A> <A HREF="d.dic">D</A> <A HREF="e.dic">E</A> <A HREF="f.dic">F</A> <A HREF="g.dic">G</A> <A HREF="h.dic">H</A> <A HREF="i.dic">I</A> <A HREF="j.dic">J</A> <A HREF="k.dic">K</A> <A HREF="l.dic">L</A> <A HREF="m.dic">M</A> <A HREF="n.dic">N</A> <A HREF="o.dic">O</A> <A HREF="p.dic">P</A> <A HREF="q.dic">Q</A> <A HREF="r.dic">R</A> <A HREF="s.dic">S</A> <A HREF="t.dic">T</A> <A HREF="u.dic">U</A> <A HREF="v.dic">V</A> <A HREF="w.dic">W</A> <A HREF="x.dic">X</A> <A HREF="y.dic">Y</A> <A HREF="z.dic">Z</A> <A NAME="finch"> finch, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. any one of a group of numerous small songbirds that have strong, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Sparrows, cardinals, canaries, goldfinches, buntings, and grosbeaks are finches. <DD> 2. any one of certain other perching (passerine) birds. </DL> <A NAME="find"> find, verb, found, finding, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>v.t. 1. to meet with; come upon by chance; happen on. Ex. He found a dollar on the road. They found trouble everywhere. <DD> 2. to look for and get; discover by searching. Ex. Please find my hat for me. The surgeon probed the wound to find the bullet. <DD> 3. to learn; discover. Ex. We found that he could not swim. He finds rest more agreeable than motion (Sir Richard Steele). <DD> 4. to see; know; feel; perceive. Ex. He found that he was growing sleepy. He found himself in a dilemma. <DD> 5. to get the use of; get. Ex. Can you find the time to do this? <DD> 6. to arrive at; reach. Ex. The arrow found its mark. Water finds its level. <DD> 7a. to decide and declare. Ex. The jury found the accused man guilty. <DD> b. to agree upon and deliver (a verdict). Ex. The jury found a verdict of guilty. <DD> 8a. to recover (something lost). Ex. to find one's wallet. <DD> b. to gain or recover the use of. Ex. to find one's tongue. <DD> 9. to provide; supply; furnish. Ex. Can you find food and lodging for my friend? <DD> 10. to come to have; receive. Ex. The book found many readers. <DD>v.i. 1. to arrive at a judgment or verdict. Ex. The jury found against the accused man. <DD> 2. (British.) to discover game in hunting. <DD>noun 1. an act or instance of finding; discovery. <DD> 2. something found, especially something valuable. Ex. The company believes it has a "find" in the new alloy (Wall Street Journal). expr. find fault. See under fault. expr. find oneself, to learn one's abilities and how to make good use of them. Ex. Browning may be said almost to have found himself in the delight he took in reading other persons' souls (Spectator). expr. find out, to learn about; come to know; discover. Ex. Canst thou by searching find out God? (Job 11:7). adj. findable. </DL> <A NAME="finder"> finder, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a person or thing that finds. <DD> 2. a small, extra lens on the outside of a camera that shows what is being photographed; view finder. <DD> 3. a small telescope attached to a larger one to help find objects more easily. <DD> 4. a device for measuring distances; range finder (especially in military use). </DL> <A NAME="findersfee"> finder's fee,<DL COMPACT><DD> a fee paid for bringing together two or more persons or companies in a business transaction, such as the borrowing and lending of money. </DL> <A NAME="findesiecle"> fin-de-siecle, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. of or characteristic of the closing years of the 1800's; characteristically enlightened, sophisticated, overelegant, precious, or decadent. Ex. a fin-de-siecle boulevardier. <DD> 2. resembling or suggesting any one of the qualities or characteristics of this period. Ex. a fin-de-siecle [attitude] of cultivated fatigue and bored aestheticism (New Yorker). </DL> <A NAME="finding"> finding, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. a discovery; find. Ex. "You speak as though my misfortunes had been of my own seeking." "They have been of your own finding" (Mrs. J. H. Riddell). <DD> 2. a thing found. Ex. Such a finding as this exquisite painted tomb is rare indeed. <DD> 3. a decision reached after an examination or inquiry. The verdict of a jury is its finding. (SYN) judgment. <DD> 4. (U.S.) an authorization for covert governmental action. Ex. a Presidential "finding" to justify C.I.A. logistical help to the operation (William Safire). expr. findings, <DD> a. tools, materials, and supplies (other than the basic materials) provided by a worker or craftsman. Ex. A dressmaker's findings include pins, thread, and tape. A jeweler's findings include swivels, clasps, and wire. A shoemaker's findings include thread and wax. <DD> b. the results of any research or inquiry. Ex. the census takers' findings. </DL> <A NAME="findinglist"> finding list,<DL COMPACT><DD> a list or catalogue of the books in a library without any description as to contents, date of publication, or size of volume. </DL> <A NAME="fine"> fine (1), adjective, finer, finest, adverb, verb, fined, fining.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. 1. of very high quality; very good; excellent. Ex. a fine sermon, a fine view, a fine scholar. Everybody praised her fine singing. Lee was a fine general. <DD> 2. very small or thin. Ex. fine wire. Thread is finer than rope. (SYN) slender, minute. <DD> 3. sharp; keen. Ex. a fine sword, a tool with a fine edge, to be in a fine frenzy. <DD> 4a. not coarse or heavy; delicate. Ex. fine linen, fine lace. (SYN) dainty. <DD> b. in very small particles. Ex. fine dust, fine flour. Sand is finer than gravel. <DD> 5. refined; elegant. Ex. fine manners. (SYN) polished. <DD> 6. subtle. Ex. The law makes fine distinctions. <DD> 7. too highly decorated; showy. Ex. fine language or writing. (SYN) ornate. <DD> 8. good-looking; handsome. Ex. a fine young man. His wife ... had much pretension to beauty, and is still a very fine woman (Henry Fielding). <DD> 9. clear; bright. Ex. fine weather. <DD> 10. free from imperfections; without impurities. Fine gold is gold not mixed with any other metal. <DD> 11. having a stated proportion of gold or silver in it. A gold alloy that is 925/1000 fine is 92.5 per cent gold. <DD> 12. (of an athlete, horse, or other contestant) trained to the maximum degree ofefficiency. <DD> 13. (Obsolete.) clever; ingenious. <DD>adv. 1. (Informal.) very well; excellently. Ex. "How are you?" "I'm doing fine." <DD> 2. (in billiards and pool) so that the ball struck just grazes the object ball. <DD>v.t. 1. to make fine or finer. <DD> 2. to refine; clarify. Ex. To bring out all its native clarity, [the sherry] is fined with the whites of eggs (New Yorker). <DD>v.i. to become fine or finer. expr. cut it fine, (Informal.) to allow a very fine margin of time or space. Ex. He gave himself only ten minutes to get to work, which was cutting it fine. </DL> <A NAME="fine"> fine (2), noun, verb, fined, fining.<DL COMPACT><DD>noun 1. a sum of money paid as a punishment, especially for breaking a law or regulation. <DD> 2a. a fee paid by the tenant at the beginning of his tenancy or for the renewal of the lease. <DD> b. a fee paid by a feudal tenant to the landlord on some alteration of the tenancy. <DD> 3. (in English law) a settlement of a fictitious suit by means of which the ownership of land was formerly transferred. <DD> 4a. (Obsolete.) a sum of money offered or paid for exemption from punishment or by way of compensation for an injury. <DD> b. a penalty of any kind. <DD> 5. (Obsolete.) an end; termination; conclusion. <DD>v.t. to cause to pay a fine. Ex. The judge fined the driver twenty dollars for speeding. expr. in fine, <DD> a. finally. Ex. He sent me a challenge, ... which I restored, and in fine we met (Ben Jonson). <DD> b. in a few words; briefly. Ex. In fine, the Government may do its will (Thomas Brown). </DL> <A NAME="fine"> fine (3), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the end (a direction on a score in music marking the end of a musical passage that has to be repeated) </DL> <A NAME="finearts"> fine arts,<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. the arts depending upon taste and appealing to the sense of beauty; painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture. Literature, music, dancing, and acting are also often included in the fine arts. <DD> 2. (sing. in use) the fine arts as constituting a department of practice or study. </DL> <A NAME="finechampagne"> fine champagne,<DL COMPACT><DD> a French brandy made from grape wine of Grande Champagne, in western France. </DL> <A NAME="finecomb"> fine-comb, transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to search through in great detail. Ex. Records in that office were fine-combed (Birmingham News). </DL> <A NAME="finecut"> fine-cut, adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD>adj. (of tobacco) cut into shreds for chewing or pipe smoking. <DD>noun tobacco cut into shreds. </DL> <A NAME="finedraw"> finedraw, transitive verb, -drew, -drawn, -drawing.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. to sew together so carefully that the joining can hardly be seen. <DD> 2. to draw out to extreme fineness or subtlety. </DL> <A NAME="finedrawn"> fine-drawn, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. drawn out until very small or thin. <DD> 2. very subtle. Ex. Fine-drawn distinctions are difficult to understand. </DL> <A NAME="finegrained"> fine-grained, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> having a fine grain. </DL> <A NAME="finely"> finely, adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. closely; carefully. Ex. Those estimates must be finely figured. <DD> 2. elegantly; excellently. Ex. a finely dressed woman. </DL> <A NAME="fineness"> fineness, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> 1. thinness. Ex. the fineness of a line, thread, needle, or wire. <DD> 2. sharpness. Ex. the fineness of an edge or point. <DD> 3. clearness. Ex. the fineness of the weather. <DD> 4. fine quality; perfection. Ex. the fineness of materials. <DD> 5. the proportion of pure gold or silver contained in an alloy, commonly expressed by number of parts in 1,000. Ex. the fineness of a metal. </DL> <A NAME="fineounce"> fine ounce,<DL COMPACT><DD> an ounce of a metal containing not more than a specified proportion of impurities, used as a unit of weight in valuation. </DL> <A HREF="fineprin.dic">NEXT</A>