Finely

adv. Forms: 4 fin(e)-, fynliche, 5–6 fyn(e)ly(e, 4, 6– finely. [f. FINE a. + -LY².] In a fine manner (see senses of the adj.).

  † 1.  In a consummate degree; perfectly, completely. Obs.

c. 1330.  Cast. Love, 1132. Hou fynliche in herte God loueþ þe.

1340–70.  Alisaunder, 1201. And fende mee finliche well · to fonde my strength.

1655.  Culpepper, Riverius, VII. i. 152. The Tumor vanished, and she was finely cured.

  2.  With consummate skill, with beautiful workmanship or admirable finish. In mod. use merged in 6.

c. 1340.  Cursor Mundi, 6563 (Fairf.). Hit ys of gold finely diȝt.

14[?].  Tundale’s Vis., 1655.

1587.  Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 169.

  3.  In a state of fine division; to a fine point or edge; so as to be subtle or delicate in structure; delicately, minutely.

c. 1550.  H. Llwyd, The Treasury of Health (1585), T viij. Make them into pouder fynelye.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, I. i. 4. The leaves are much more jagged … finelier cut.

1606.  Peacham, Drawing, iv. 10. Get you black lead, sharpened finelie.

1718.  Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. Ctess. Mar, 4 Jan. It was with the utmost regret that I made use of these costly napkins, which were as finely wrought as the finest handkerchiefs that ever came out of this country.

1816.  L. Hunt, Rimini, III. 16.

1847.  Johnston, in Proc. Berw. Nat. Club, II. No. v., 222. The skin is very finely striolate under a high magnifier.

1863.  Lyell, Antiq. Man, 46. Consist of finely laminated sand, silt, and clay.

  fig.  1693.  Dryden, Orig. of Sat., Prose Wks. 1800, III. 212. Here is the majesty of the heroick, finely mixed with the venom of the other; and raising the delight which otherwise would be flat and vulgar, by the sublimity of the expression.

1885.  Bookseller, 5 March, 240/2. The distinction in these mixed races seems very finely drawn.

  4.  With respect to action, speech, etc.: With delicacy and nicety; delicately, subtly, nicely.

1548.  Hall, Chron., 18. He would that poinct should be lesse and more fynely & closely handled.

1608.  Yorksh. Trag., I. ii.

1710.  Hearne, Collect., II. 369. In y^e City of Rome they spoke more finely and elegantly than in Provinces, where their Expressions were vulgar and mean.

1713.  Addison, Spect., No. 345, 5 April, ¶ 21. The new Passion that was awakened in him [Adam] at the sight of her [Eve] is touch’d very finely.

1851.  Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Windows, 18.

1867.  F. Francis, Angling, iii. (1880), 79. As the angler is compelled to fish as finely as possible, and with not too large a hook nor too coarse gut, the wary old fellow will sometimes give you the slip even after he has been well hooked.

1883.  Kendal, Mercury & Times, 23 Nov., 5/1. An elevating or finely humanising tendency.

  † 5.  Cleverly, cunningly, shrewdly. Obs.

1542.  Udall, Erasm. Apoph., II. (1877), 326. The argument of his frendes he did moste finely wrest to the contrarie of their menyng.

1579–80.  North, Plutarch (1676), 154. Whereas he himself by Hannibal was first finely handled and deceived.

a. 1639.  Wotton, Essex & Dk. Buckhm. Wee rate this one secret as it was finely carried at 4000l. in present money.

  6.  In a manner fitted to call forth admiration; admirably, beautifully, excellently, splendidly.

1690.  W. Walker, Idiomat. Anglo-Lat., 330. Thou hast plaid thy part finely.

1759.  trans. Duhamel’s Husb., II. i. (1762), 128. The corn came up finely in both fields.

1807.  G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. I. iv. 135. Having traversed the enclosures of Lockhart-hill, this road passes through the station of Castle Dykes near Carstairs, which is finely situated on the right bank of the Clyde.

1850.  Lynch, Theo. Trin., v. 81. Perhaps there is the moon, and near it greenish tints, finely contrasting with its own soft white.

  b.  ironically.

1579.  Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 222. He scoffeth finely at our spirituall sifting of the sacrament so fine.

1598.  Shaks., Merry W., V. iii. 22. Wee ’ll betray him finely.

1691.  South, Serm. Nat. & Meas. of Conscience, ii. Let laws be made to obey, and not to be obeyed; and upon these terms I doubt not but you will find that kingdom (or rather that commonwealth) finely governed in a short time.

1778.  Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, Sept. Now, she dainties us up with all the meekness in the world; but when we are away, I suppose she pays us off finely.

1883.  Stevenson, Treas. Isl., I. iv. My heart was beating finely when we two set forth in the cold night upon this dangerous venture.

  c.  dial. Used predicatively as quasi-adj.: Very well in health.

1818.  Todd, Johnson, s.v. Finely 7. In Cumberland a man in good health being asked how he is, answers ‘he is finely.’

1840.  Spurdens, E. Anglian Wds., ‘How is your wife, John, after her groaning?’ ‘Finely, sir, thank ’ee.’

1878.  in Cumberld. Gloss.

  7.  With respect to dress: Showily, handsomely.

1665.  Boyle, Occas. Refl. (1845), 354. The Men themselves are many of them as finely and as richly dress’d, as if even they came as well to be seen as to see.

  8.  Comb. With pples. forming adjs., as finely-arched, -bred, -chequered, -pinnated, -situated, -tempered, timed, -varied, -veined, -wrought.

1876.  Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., III. xxxv. 35. Each *finely-arched chapel was turned into a stall.

18[?].  Tristram, in Queen’s Printers’ Bible-Aids, 54. Dromedary…. A swift or *finely-bred camel.

1728–46.  Thomson, Spring, 773.

1870.  C. Kingsley, Letters from the Tropics, in Good Words, XI. 239/1. Beyond that, again, blaze great orange and yellow flowers, with long stamens and pistil curving upwards out of them. They belong to a twining, scrambling bush, with *finely-pinnated mimosa leaves. That is the poinziana, the ‘Flower-fence’ so often heard of in past years.

1875.  W. M‘Ilwraith, Guide to Wigtownshire, 94. The … *finely-situated … Endcliffe House.

1869.  Boutell, Arms & Arm., vii. 120. The quick-eyed Saracens sought and found weak points where they might drive home their *finely-tempered blades.

1658–9.  Burton’s Diary (1828), III. 558. His was a *finely-timed speech, with rhetoric and story adorned.

1876.  Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., IV. li. 23. Her voice had become more firmly resistant in its *finely-varied tones.

1763.  Collinson, in Phil. Trans., LIV. 65. Four *finely-veined transparent wings.

1873.  Hamerton, Intell. Life, III. iii. (1876), 91. Names which are selected with the greatest care by our English poets, and which hold their place like jewels on the *finely-wrought texture of the verse, lose all their value when they are read with a vicious foreign pronunciation.