fin

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: an external membranous process of an aquatic animal (such as a fish) used in propelling or guiding the body see fish illustration
2
: something resembling a fin: such as
a
: hand, arm
b(1)
: an appendage of a boat (such as a submarine)
(2)
: an airfoil attached to an airplane for directional stability
d
: any of the projecting ribs on a radiator or an engine cylinder
finlike adjective

fin

2 of 4

verb

finned; finning

transitive verb

: to equip with fins

intransitive verb

1
: to show the fins above the water
2
: to move through water propelled by fins

fin

3 of 4

noun (2)

slang
: a 5-dollar bill

fin

4 of 4

abbreviation

1
finance; financial
2
finish

Examples of fin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
These rules were intended to decrease the animals’ suffering from finning and prevent them from being killed just for their fins. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2024 Conservationists have long railed against the practice of finning sharks, and there are more bans in place now than ever. Justin Klawans, theweek, 31 Jan. 2024 But regulations that directly target shark mortality—not finning alone—should be pursued to protect sharks as a whole, the study authors tell Live Science’s Melissa Hobson. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2024 By the 1920s, humpbacks were scarce, so the industry began targeting blue whales and then fin and sei whales. Douglas Main, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024 Three decades into his projet sans fin, Invader is more monomaniacal than ever. Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023 The Falcon 9 first stage tucks its grid fins down during launch, minimizing atmospheric drag on the way up through Earth's atmosphere. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 17 Nov. 2023 As the sun rose into a cobalt sky and the mercury climbed to 75, sturgeon finned in the shallows just feet away from awed humans. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2023 Then put on your mask and fins for a little snorkeling to see what kind of marine life seeks refuge in the shallows. Outside Online, 4 Jan. 2023
Noun
The 23-kilowatt experimental GE motor was tested on a dynamometer using a torque meter—the gray, cylindrical item with the fins at left. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024 The fish are hand sculpted in white gold, with scales, fins, and whiskers all engraved by hand. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 The double stabilization system with four fins is designed to improve comfort both at anchor and underway. Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Wild fish, marked by an unclipped adipose fin, must be released. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 While shark meat has a reputation as a fixture in the Asian delicacy shark fin soup, the study demonstrates its prevalence is much wider. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Jan. 2024 Singapore plays a pivotal role in the intricate network of the shark fin trade. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 The May 1968 uprisings, Woodstock, even the fervour with which the young threw themselves into the civil rights campaigns smacked of the rebelliousness that usually foreshadows a fin desiècle; the end of a regime and its replacement with something new. Yanis Varoufakis, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2024 More than 80 countries exported roughly 23 million pounds of shark fin products to Hong Kong, the largest shark fin market, in 2011. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English finn, from Old English

Noun (2)

Yiddish finf five, from Middle High German, from Old High German — more at five

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1933, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fin was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fin

Cite this Entry

“Fin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fin. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fin

noun
ˈfin
1
: a thin process on the outside of an aquatic animal (as a fish or whale) used in propelling or guiding the body
2
: something shaped like a fin
finlike
-ˌlīk
adjective
finned
ˈfind
adjective

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