different between fine vs super

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English fin, fyn, from Old French fin (“fine, minute, exact”), of obscure origin, but probably derived from Latin f?n?re (“to finish”) and/or f?nis (“boundary, limit, end”), with an abstract sense of "fine" or "thin" also arising in many Romance languages (compare Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian fino). Doublet of fino.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa?n/,
• Rhymes: -a?n
• (Tasmanian) IPA^(key): /fæ?n/

Adjective

fine (comparative finer, superlative finest)

1. Senses referring to subjective quality.
   1. Of superior quality.

      • "A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there. […]."

      Synonyms: good, excellent

   2. (informal) Being acceptable, adequate, passable, or satisfactory.

      Synonyms: all right, ok, o.k., okay, hunky-dory, kosher

   3. (informal) Good-looking, attractive.
   4. Subtle, delicately balanced or discriminated.
   5. (obsolete) Showy; overdecorated.
      • 1853, Matthew Arnold, Preface to The Poems of Matthew Arnold

        They will permit the poet to select any action he pleases, and to suffer that action to go as it will, provided he gratifies them with occasional bursts of fine writing

   6. Delicate; subtle; exquisite; artful; dexterous.
      • c. 1692, John Dryden, Discourse on Satire

        The nicest and most delicate touches of satire consist in fine raillery.

      • 1728, John Gay, The Beggar's Opera

        He has as fine a hand at picking a pocket as a woman.

   7. An answer often used to cover an unnecessary explanation, rather to avoid conflict or an argument. Saying "I'm fine" can be used to avoid inquiry when the speaker is not really okay.

2. Senses referring to objective quality.
   1. Of a particular grade of quality, usually between very good and very fine, and below mint.

   2. (of weather) Sunny and not raining.
   3. Consisting of especially minute particulate; made up of particularly small pieces.

      Synonyms: fine-grained, powdered, powdery, pulverised, pulverized, small-grained

      Antonym: coarse

   4. Particularly slender; especially thin, narrow, or of small girth.

   5. Made of slender or thin filaments.

      Synonym: fine-threaded

      Antonym: coarse

   6. Having a (specified) proportion of pure metal in its composition.

3. (cricket) Behind the batsman and at a small angle to the line between the wickets.

4. (obsolete) Subtle; thin; tenuous.

Derived terms

See below.

Translations

Adverb

fine (comparative more fine, superlative most fine)

1. Expression of (typically) reluctant agreement.

   Synonyms: all right, alright, OK, very well

2. Well, nicely, in a positive way.

   Everything worked out fine.

3. (dated, dialect, colloquial) Finely; elegantly; delicately.
4. (pool, billiards) In a manner so that the driven ball strikes the object ball so far to one side as to be barely deflected, the object ball being driven to one side.

Translations

Noun

fine (plural fines)

1. Fine champagne; French brandy.
   • 1926, Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises, Scribner 2003, page 14:

     We had dined at l'Avenue's, and afterward went to the Café de Versailles for coffee. We had several fines after the coffee, and I said I must be going.

   • 1936, Djuna Barnes, Nightwood, Faber & Faber 2007, page 18:

     He refilled his glass. ‘The fine is very good,’ he said.

2. (usually in the plural) Something that is fine; fine particles.

   They filtered silt and fines out of the soil.

Usage notes

Particularly used in plural as fines of ground coffee beans in espresso making.

See also

• filing

Verb

fine (third-person singular simple present fines, present participle fining, simple past and past participle fined)

1. (transitive) To make finer, purer, or cleaner; to purify or clarify.

   to fine gold

   • 1666 (written), 1681 (published), Thomas Hobbes, A Dialogue between a Philosopher and a Student of the Common Laws of England

     It hath been fined and refined by […] learned men.

2. (intransitive) To become finer, purer, or cleaner.
3. To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk, texture, etc.

   to fine the soil

   (Can we find and add a quotation of L. H. Bailey to this entry?)

4. To change by fine gradations.

   to fine down a ship's lines, i.e. to diminish her lines gradually

   • I often sate at home / On evenings, watching how they fined themselves / With gradual conscience to a perfect night.

5. (transitive) To clarify (wine and beer) by filtration.
6. (intransitive, dated) To become gradually fine; to diminish; to dwindle (with away, down, or off).
   • 1882, William Clark Russell, My Watch Below

     I watched her [the ship] […] gradually fining down in the westward until I lost sight of her hull.

Synonyms

• (to make or become finer, purer, or cleaner): clarify, refine, purify

Related terms

• (clarify by filtration): finings

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

• final
• finite

Etymology 2

From Middle English fyn, fyne, from Old French fin, from Medieval Latin finis (“a payment in settlement or tax”). Doublet of finis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fa?n/,

Noun

fine (plural fines)

2. A fee levied as punishment for breaking the law.

   The fine for jay-walking has gone from two dollars to thirty in the last fifteen years.

Synonyms

• amercement

Translations

Verb

fine (third-person singular simple present fines, present participle fining, simple past and past participle fined)

2. (transitive) To issue a fine as punishment to (someone).

3. (intransitive) To pay a fine.
   • 1818, Henry Hallam, View of the State of Europe during the Middle Ages

     Men fined for the king's good will; or that he would remit his anger; women fined for leave to marry.

Synonyms

• amerce

Translations

Related terms

• finance

Etymology 3

From Italian fine (“end”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: f?'n?, IPA^(key): /?fi?ne?/

Noun

fine (plural fines)

1. (music) The end of a musical composition.
2. (music) The location in a musical score that indicates the end of the piece, particularly when the piece ends somewhere in the middle of the score due to a section of the music being repeated.

Usage notes

This word is virtually never used in speech and therefore essentially confined to musical notation.

Derived terms

• da capo al fine=D.C. al fine

Etymology 4

From Middle English finen, fynen, from Old French finer, finir. See finish (transitive verb).

Verb

fine (third-person singular simple present fines, present participle fining, simple past and past participle fined)

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To finish; to cease.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to cease; to stop.

Noun

fine (plural fines)

1. (obsolete) End; conclusion; termination; extinction.
2. A final agreement concerning lands or rents between persons, as the lord and his vassal.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spelman to this entry?)

3. (Britain, law) A sum of money or price paid for obtaining a benefit, favor, or privilege, as for admission to a copyhold, or for obtaining or renewing a lease.

References

• “fine”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.

Anagrams

• Enif, Fein, NiFe, feni, ifen, neif, nief, nife

Asturian

Verb

fine

1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive of finar

Danish

Adjective

fine

1. plural and definite singular attributive of fin

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fine/
• Hyphenation: fi?ne
• Rhymes: -ine
• Audio:

Adverb

fine

1. finally, at last; at the end
2. in the final analysis, when all's said and done

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fin/
• Rhymes: -in

Adjective

fine

1. feminine singular of fin

Noun

fine f (plural fines)

1. (typography) thin space, non-breakable space
2. a number of high grade French brandies (usually AOC certified)

Further reading

• “fine” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Futuna-Aniwa

Noun

fine

1. woman, female (of any sort)

References

• Arthur Capell, Futuna-Aniwa Dictionary, with Grammatical Introduction (1984)

Ido

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fine/

Adverb

fine

1. finally

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish fine, from Proto-Celtic *weny? (“family”), from Proto-Indo-European *wenh?- (“desire”); compare Old English wine (“friend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f??n??/

Noun

fine f (genitive singular fine, nominative plural finte)

1. family group
   1. race
   2. territory of a family group

Declension

Derived terms

• Fine Gael

Mutation

Further reading

• "fine" in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “fine” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “fine” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.

Italian

Etymology

From Latin f?nis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fi.ne/
• Hyphenation: fì?ne

Adjective

fine (plural fini)

1. thin

   Synonym: sottile

2. fine
3. refined

   Synonym: elegante

Derived terms

• finemente

Adjective

fine

1. feminine plural of fino

Noun

fine f (plural fini)

1. end

   Synonyms: conclusione, finale, termine

   Antonyms: inizio, principio

Noun

fine m (plural fini)

1. aim, purpose, end

   Synonyms: scopo, obiettivo

Related terms

Anagrams

• feni

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?fi?.ne/, [?fi?n?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?fi.ne/, [?fi?n?]

Noun

f?ne

1. ablative singular of f?nis

References

• fine in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish faigen (“sheath, scabbard”), from Latin v?g?na. Cognate with Irish faighin and Scottish Gaelic faighean.

Noun

fine m (genitive singular fine, plural fineyn)

1. quiver
2. sheath, scabbard

   Synonym: laan

3. (anatomy) vagina

   Synonyms: pihtt, pitt

Synonyms

• cuinnag

Mutation

North Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian finda, which derives from Proto-West Germanic *finþan. Cognates include Föhr-Amrum North Frisian finj and West Frisian fine.

Verb

fine

1. (Mooring Dialect) to find

Conjugation

Norwegian Bokmål

Adjective

fine

1. definite singular of fin
2. plural of fin

Norwegian Nynorsk

Adjective

fine

1. definite singular of fin
2. plural of fin

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *weny?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?in?e/

Noun

fine f

1. family, kin, group of people of common descent
2. clan, tribe, race

Inflection

Descendants

• Irish: fine

Mutation

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Maire Ní Mhaonaigh, Sharon Arbuthnot, Dagmar Wodtko, Maire-Luise Theuerkauf, editors (2019) , “fine”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: fi?ne

Verb

fine

1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of finar
2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of finar
3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of finar
4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of finar

Romanian

Etymology

From Italian fine, and partly French fin.

Noun

fine f (uncountable)

1. (literary) end

   Synonym: sfâr?it

Derived terms

• în fine

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fine/, [?fi.ne]

Verb

fine

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of finir.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of finir.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of finir.

Swedish

Adjective

fine

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of fin.

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian finda, from Proto-West Germanic *finþan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fin?/

Verb

fine

1. to find
2. to decide that, to form the opinion that

Inflection

Further reading

• “fine (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s(j)u?p?(?)/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?sup?/
• Rhymes: -u?p?(?)
• Homophone: souper (one pronunciation)
• Hyphenation: su?per

Etymology 1

From super- (prefix), from Middle English super-, from Latin super-, from super (“above”), from Pre-Italic or Proto-Indo-European *eks-uper, from *e?s (“out of”) (English ex-), from *h?e??s + *uperi (English over). Cognate to hyper, from Ancient Greek.

Adjective

super (not comparable)

1. Of excellent quality, superfine.
2. better than average, better than usual; wonderful.

Synonyms

• (better): awesome, excellent

Derived terms

• super-duper

Related terms

• super-

Translations

Adverb

super (not comparable)

1. (informal) Very; extremely (used like the prefix super-).

   The party was super awesome.

Etymology 2

Abbreviation by shortening.

Noun

super (plural supers)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, informal) Short for superannuation.

   Jane looked forward to collecting a large super payout when she retired.

2. Short for supercomputer.
   • 1989, Kai Hwang, Doug DeGroot, Parallel processing for supercomputers and artificial intelligence

     The performances and cost ranges of three classes of commercial supercomputers are given in Table 2.1. The full-scale supers are the most expensive class, represented by Cray, ETA, and Fujitsu systems, for example.

3. (comics, slang) Short for superhero.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.
4. (beekeeping) Short for superhive.
5. (informal, US) Short for superintendent, especially, a building's resident manager (sometimes clarified as “building super”).
6. (neologism) Short for supernaturalist, especially as distinguished from bright.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.
7. Short for supernumerary; (theater) specifically, a supernumerary actor.
8. Short for supertanker.
   • 1973, Jeffrey Potter, Disaster by Oil (page 46)

     That is a lot of ship, about the size of big tankers before they grew so rapidly to become supers, mammoths and oilbergs.

9. Short for supervisor.

Verb

super (third-person singular simple present supers, present participle supering, simple past and past participle supered)

1. (beekeeping) Short for superhive.
   • 1917 Dadant, C. P., First Lessons in Beekeeping; revised & rewritten edition, 1968, by M. G. Dadant and J. C. Dadant, p 73:

     The question is: when is the best time to super?

2. (television) Short for superimpose.
   • 1987, Television Quarterly (volumes 23-24)

     Even running a supered "Re-enactment" caption for a few seconds is poor policy, he feels […]

Anagrams

• Pre-Us, Purse, Rupes, puers, pures, purse, re-ups, reups, rupes, sprue

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?sup?r]

Etymology

Borrowed from English super, French super, from Latin super.

Adjective

super (indeclinable)

1. (informal) super, great

   M?j brácha si koupil super auto, to musíš vid?t!

   Ten výlet byl prost? super!

Usage notes

This word is slightly more formal than supr, yet still informal.

Synonyms

• supr

See also

• vynikající

Interjection

super

1. (informal) super

Synonyms

• supr

Further reading

• super in Kartotéka Novo?eského lexikálního archivu

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed via English super from Latin super (“over”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?su?b??]

Adjective

super (neuter super or supert, plural super or (unofficial) supre)

1. (informal) terrific

Adverb

super

1. (informal) very

Synonyms

• herre
• mega

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English super, ultimately from Latin super.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sy.p?r/
• Hyphenation: su?per

Adverb

super

1. (informal) very, extremely, super

Adjective

super (not comparable)

1. great, super

Inflection

Related terms

• hyper
• over

Esperanto

Etymology

From Latin super.

Pronunciation

Preposition

super

1. above

Antonyms

• sub

French

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin super. Doublet of the inherited sur. See also hyper, borrowed from Ancient Greek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy.p??/

Adjective

super (invariable)

1. superb, great

Derived terms

• super amas stellaire
• super-amas d'étoiles
• super-amas stellaire
• super combiné

Adverb

super

1. (informal) extremely, very (as an intensifier)

Synonyms

• vachement
• hyper

Interjection

super

1. great, fantastic

Related terms

• super-

Etymology 2

Probably a borrowing from a Germanic language, from *s?pan? (“to sip, sup”). If so then doublet of souper.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sy.pe/

Verb

super

1. (regional) to suck, to sip

Conjugation

Anagrams

• peurs, pures, repus, rupes

Further reading

• “super” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Etymology

Borrowed from English super.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?zu?p?/

Adjective

super (not comparable)

1. (colloquial) super, great, awesome

Declension

Synonyms

• klasse
• spitze

Further reading

• “super” in Duden online

Interlingua

Preposition

super

1. about (focused on a given topic)

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super. Cf. sopra.

Adjective

super (invariable)

1. super

Noun

super m (invariable)

1. The best
2. superphosphate

super f (invariable)

1. The best grade of petrol

Anagrams

• pruse, ruspe

Latin

Etymology

From *eks-uper, from Proto-Indo-European *h?e??s (“out of”) (Latin ex) + *uperi (“above”), from *upo. The latter is cognate to Ancient Greek ???? (hupér, “above”) and Proto-Germanic *uber (English over).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?su.per/, [?s??p?r]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?su.per/, [?su?p?r]

Preposition

super (+ accusative, ablative)

1. accusative [of place] above, on the top of, upon

   Cibus super mensam est.

   The food is on the table.

2. accusative [of place] above, beyond
3. accusative [of measure] above, beyond, over, in addition to
4. ablative concerning, regarding

Usage notes

• Used in many compound words, see super-.

Adverb

super (not comparable)

1. above, on top, over
2. upwards
3. moreover, in addition, besides

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:super.

Antonyms

• sub

Derived terms

Descendants

References

• super in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• super in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• super in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
• super in Ramminger, Johann (accessed 16 July 2016) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700?^[4], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English super.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?su.p?r/

Adjective

super (indeclinable, comparative bardziej super, superlative najbardziej super)

1. (colloquial) great, excellent

Adverb

super (comparative bardziej super, superlative najbardziej super)

1. (colloquial) excellently

See also

• super-

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super; cf. also English super. Doublet of the inherited sobre.

Adverb

super (not comparable)

1. (informal) super, very (intensifier)

   Synonyms: muito, bastante, bué, mega

Adjective

super (invariable, comparable)

1. super

Sardinian

Alternative forms

• suber
• supre
• subre

Etymology

From Latin super.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /super/

Preposition

super

1. on, on top of, above

   Synonym: supra

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin super; cf. also English super. Doublet of the inherited sobre.

Adjective

super (invariable)

1. (intensifier) very, mega

Swedish

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /²s??p?r/

Verb

super

1. present tense of supa.

Adjective

super (not comparable)

1. perfect, super, excellent, great

Declension

Only used predicatively.