What does "fin" mean?
One of the appendages of a fish, used to propel itself and to manoeuvre/maneuver.
Fin
/fɪn/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One of the appendages of a fish, used to propel itself and to manoeuvre/maneuver.
- Grammar: fin is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: flipper, 5, aeroplane, airplane.
- Usage evidence: He thought he perceived the black fin of a shark swimming near the surface of the water.
How to use "fin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "fin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "fin" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "flipper" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "fin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of the appendages of a fish, used to propel itself and to manoeuvre/maneuver.
"The fish's fins minimize water flow."
- 2 a five-pound (£5) note; the sum of five pounds. UK, slang
- 3 "The end". archaic
- 4 Initialism of facility ID number. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 5 organ of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animals wordnet
Show 18 more definitions
- 6 A similar appendage of a cetacean or other marine animal.
"a dolphin's fin"
- 7 A five-dollar bill; the sum of five dollars. US, dated, slang
- 8 Denotes the end of the road. obsolete
- 9 Initialism of force identification number. UK, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 10 a stabilizer on a ship that resembles the fin of a fish wordnet
- 11 A thin, rigid component of an aircraft, extending from the fuselage and used to stabilise and steer the aircraft.
"The fin stabilises the plane in flight."
- 12 a shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater) wordnet
- 13 A similar structure protruding from a projectile, used to help keep it on course.
- 14 one of a set of parallel slats in a door or window to admit air and reject rain wordnet
- 15 A similar structure on the bottom of a surfboard, used to help steer it.
- 16 one of a pair of decorations projecting above the rear fenders of an automobile wordnet
- 17 A hairstyle, resembling the fin of a fish, in which the hair is combed and set into a vertical ridge along the top of the head from about the crown to the forehead.
- 18 the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one wordnet
- 19 A device worn by divers and swimmers on their feet.
"The divers wore fins to swim faster."
- 20 An extending part on a surface of a radiator, engine, heatsink, etc., used to facilitate cooling.
- 21 A sharp raised edge (generally in concrete) capable of damaging a roof membrane or vapor retarder.
- 22 The conning tower of a submarine.
- 23 A person's hand. UK, obsolete, slang
""Done say I to that, Reuben, tip me your fin, my spark, and it shall be a bet.""
Verb
- 1 To cut the fins from a fish, shark, etc. transitive
- 2 show the fins above the water while swimming wordnet
- 3 (Of a fish) to swim with the dorsal fin above the surface of the water. intransitive
"When you spot him finning just under the surface, you move up quietly and present [...] bait, usually a squid."
- 4 propel oneself through the water in a finning motion wordnet
- 5 To swim in the manner of a fish. intransitive
"A neutrally buoyant diver does not need to fin to maintain depth."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 equip (a car) with fins wordnet
- 7 To provide (a motor vehicle etc) with fins. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 commune in the Somme department in France
Example
"He thought he perceived the black fin of a shark swimming near the surface of the water."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fin"?
Common synonyms include: flipper, 5, aeroplane, airplane, appendage, aquaplaning.
How do you use "fin" in a sentence?
He thought he perceived the black fin of a shark swimming near the surface of the water.
How do you pronounce "fin"?
Pronounced /fɪn/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English fin, from Old English finn, from Proto-Germanic *finnō, *finǭ (“dorsal fin”) (compare Dutch vin, German Finne, Swedish finne, fena), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pīn- (“backbone, dorsal fin”) (compare Old Irish ind (“end, point”), Latin pinna (“feather, wing, fin”), Tocharian A spin (“hook”).
Etymology 2
From Yiddish פֿינף (finf, “five”). Doublet of cinque, finnuf, five, pimp (“five”), ponzu, punch (“beverage”), and sengi (“currency”).
Etymology 3
From French fin (“end”). Doublet of fine and finis.