Finish Comes From the Word for End
To finish is to bring to an end. In woodwork and sport the noun means something more specific than completion.
To finish is to bring something to an end. The noun does specialised work: in carpentry a *finish* is the protective surface applied last, in racing it is the closing stage, and in cooking a finish is what is added at the end. All keep the idea of the final act, from Latin *finis*, an end.
- To complete. *Finish the report.*
- The end. *A close finish.*
- A surface treatment. *A matt finish.*
- Finishing school — a school teaching social polish. *Sent to finishing school.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | finish | Finish it off. |
| Past | finished | Already finished. |
| Noun | finish | A gloss finish. |
| Adjective | finished | A finished article. |
| Related | final | The final act. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A photo finish decided it.So close a camera was needed.
- Apply two coats of finish.Woodwork.
- He is finished.His career is over.
Words from *finis*, an end
- Finish — to bring to an end
- Final — last
- Finite — having limits
- Infinite — without end
- Define — to set the limits of
From Old French *finir*, from Latin *finire*, to limit or end, from *finis*, a boundary or end.
Are define and finish related?
Yes. To define is to set boundaries, from the same Latin word for an end or limit.
What was a finishing school?
A private school teaching young women social graces, deportment and languages before entering society. Very few survive.