fin
fin — noun
1. a thin flat piece attached to a fish, aircraft, or vehicle that keeps it from ti
a thin flat piece attached to a fish, aircraft, or vehicle that keeps it from tipping and helps it change direction
The shark's dorsal fin cut through the water as it circled the boat.
dorsal fin — the fin on a fish's back
A small fin on the tail of the aircraft keeps it steady during flight.
Eri pointed at the bright orange fins of the goldfish swimming in the pond.
The engineer checked the vertical fin before letting the plane take off.
The small fin on the back of the speedboat kept it stable in choppy water.
- appendage
more general and technical; fin is specific to aquatic life and vehicles
- stabilizer
limited to aircraft and boats; does not apply to fish
- flipper
usually refers to a broad, flat limb of sea mammals (seals, turtles), not fish
用法筆記
Frequently used in compound nouns such as dorsal fin, tail fin, and vertical fin to name specific types.
2. a men's hairstyle in which the hair is brushed from the sides toward the middle
a men's hairstyle in which the hair is brushed from the sides toward the middle of the head so that it stands up in a ridge like a fish's fin
Jabari styled his hair into a fin by smoothing the sides and lifting the top.
style / shape hair into a fin
The barber showed Ilan how to create a fin using gel and a comb.
Fin hairstyles were popular among teenage boys in the early 2000s.
Rodrigo spent ten minutes shaping the fin on top of his head before school.
用法筆記
An informal term; younger speakers may also call this a fauxhawk when the ridge is shorter.
3. a rubber or plastic shoe with a wide flat front that you wear on your foot to he
a rubber or plastic shoe with a wide flat front that you wear on your foot to help you swim faster, especially underwater
Anong put on her fins before jumping into the pool for training.
put on + fins
The diver's fins helped him move quickly through the strong ocean current.
Hamza borrowed a pair of fins from the diving shop on the beach.
Without fins, swimming against the current was exhausting for the team.
- flipper
more common in British English; interchangeable in most contexts
用法筆記
Often used in the plural (fins) even when referring to one pair. Also called flippers, especially in British English.
常見錯誤
4. a flat blade-like part fixed to the bottom or side of a boat, ship, or submarine
a flat blade-like part fixed to the bottom or side of a boat, ship, or submarine that keeps it steady in the water and stops it from rolling too much
The submarine's fin keeps it balanced when diving to great depths.
fin keeps [vehicle] balanced
Sahil checked the boat's fin for damage after it struck a rock near the shore.
A fin on the side of the ferry stops it from rolling in rough seas.
The engineers designed a new fin shape to improve the yacht's stability during storms.
- stabilizer
broader term that includes fins but also other mechanical stabilising devices
- keel
the central structural spine of a boat's bottom, not a separate appendage
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (BALANCE & STEERING): sense 1 covers biological and aircraft fins; sense 4 is limited to water vessels.
fin — verb
1. to attach or fit a fin or fins onto a vehicle, surfboard, or other object as par
to attach or fit a fin or fins onto a vehicle, surfboard, or other object as part of its design or construction
The company fins each surfboard with three removable plastic fins.
fin [object] with [parts] — the construction pattern
Élise learned how to fin her racing boat for better handling in turns.
The factory fins every model before it leaves the production line.
Jude fins his vintage car with decorative chrome fins for local car shows.
文法句型
fin + object
用法筆記
Almost always used in passive or technical manufacturing contexts. Learner relevance is low.
2. if a fish, dolphin, or other sea creature fins, it rises partly out of the water
if a fish, dolphin, or other sea creature fins, it rises partly out of the water so that one or more of its fins can be seen
The dolphin finned briefly at the surface before diving back down.
dolphin fins at the surface
A large shark finned just above the water near the edge of the reef.
Sade watched the whales finning lazily in the calm afternoon sea.
A pod of orcas finned near the tour boat, thrilling the passengers on board.
文法句型
fin + (adverb of location)
3. to swim or move through water by using fins on the feet, or by moving the body i
to swim or move through water by using fins on the feet, or by moving the body in a wave-like way that pushes against the water
Christopher finned slowly along the reef, watching the colorful coral.
fin along [location] — prepositional phrase showing direction
The swimmers finned across the bay during their early morning training.
Harper finned toward the anchor line to check whether it was secure.
Amira finned through the kelp forest, careful not to disturb the fish.
- swim
general term; fin implies a specific technique using fins or fin-like motion
文法句型
fin + adverb / prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Often used in scuba-diving and freediving descriptions. The verb can describe both humans wearing swim fins and aquatic animals using their body fins.
fin — abbreviation
1. a short written form of 'finance' or 'financial', used in business documents, re
a short written form of 'finance' or 'financial', used in business documents, reports, and banking contexts
Please send all fin. documents to the accounting department by Friday.
fin. — abbreviation with a period
The file is labeled 'Fin. Statement 2025' and stored in the main office.
Her job title changed from assistant to fin. manager after the promotion.
The fin. advisor reviewed the budget before the quarterly meeting.
用法筆記
Almost always written with a period ('fin.') in formal documents. Common in job titles (fin. analyst, fin. director).
2. a short written form of 'finish', used in schedules, instructions, or production
a short written form of 'finish', used in schedules, instructions, or production logs to mark the end or completion of something
The race schedule says 'Fin.' next to the last event of the afternoon.
Fin. — abbreviation for finish in schedules
Write 'Fin.' at the bottom of the checklist to show that everything is done.
The production log shows 'Fin.' for the final batch shipped that week.
The last page of the manual has 'Fin.' printed at the bottom.
用法筆記
Common in manufacturing, race timing, and simple instruction lists. Usually capitalised ('FIN.') in headings.