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• fin
  fin

  noun

  a membranous, winglike or paddlelike organ attached to any of various parts of the body of fishes and certain other aquatic animals, used for propulsion, steering, or balancing.
• fin.
  fin.

  abbreviation

  finance.
• Fin.
  Fin.

  abbreviation

  Finland.
• Fin
  Fin

  abbreviation

  Finland
• FIN
  FIN

  abbreviation

  Finland (international car registration)

fin

¹ American  

[fin] / fɪn /

noun

1. a membranous, winglike or paddlelike organ attached to any of various parts of the body of fishes and certain other aquatic animals, used for propulsion, steering, or balancing.

2. Nautical.

   1. a horizontal, often adjustable, winglike appendage to the underwater portion of a hull, as one for controlling the dive of a submarine or for damping the roll of a surface vessel.

   2. fin keel.

3. Also called vertical stabilizer. Aeronautics. any of certain small, subsidiary structures on an aircraft, designed to increase directional stability.

4. any of a number of standing ridges on an ordinarily hot object, as a radiator, a cylinder of an internal-combustion engine, etc., intended to maximize heat transfer to the surrounding air by exposing a large surface area.

5. any part, as of a mechanism, resembling a fin.

6. Metallurgy. a ridge of metal squeezed through the opening between two rolls, dies, or halves of a mold in which a piece is being formed under pressure.

7. Automotive. an ornamental structure resembling an aeronautical fin that is attached to the body of an automobile, as on each rear fender tail fin.

8. Slang. the arm or hand.

9. Usually fins. flipper.

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verb (used with object)

• fins,
  present (3rd person singular)
• finned,
  past participle,  past
• finning
  present participle

1. to cut off the fins from (a fish); carve or cut up, as a chub.

2. to provide or equip with a fin or fins.

verb (used without object)

• fins,
  present (3rd person singular)
• finned,
  past participle,  past
• finning
  present participle

1. to move the fins; lash the water with the fins, as a whale when dying.

fin ² American  

[fin] / fɪn /

noun

1. Slang. a five-dollar bill.

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fin. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. finance.

2. financial.

3. finish.

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Fin. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Finland.

2. Finnish.

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fin. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. finance

2. financial

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Fin ² British  

abbreviation

1. Finland

2. Finnish

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FIN ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Finland (international car registration)

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fin ⁴ British  

/ fɪn /

noun

1. any of the firm appendages that are the organs of locomotion and balance in fishes and some other aquatic animals. Most fishes have paired and unpaired fins, the former corresponding to the limbs of higher vertebrates

2. a part or appendage that resembles a fin

3. 1. US name: vertical stabilizer. a vertical surface to which the rudder is attached, usually placed at the rear of an aeroplane to give stability about the vertical axis

   2. a tail surface fixed to a rocket or missile to give stability

4. nautical a fixed or adjustable blade projecting under water from the hull of a vessel to give it stability or control

5. a projecting rib to dissipate heat from the surface of an engine cylinder, motor casing, or radiator

6. (often plural) another name for flipper

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verb

1. (tr) to provide with fins

2. (tr) to remove the fins from (a dead fish)

3. (intr) (esp of a whale) to agitate the fins violently in the water

fin ⁵ British  

/ fɪn /

noun

1. slang a five-dollar bill

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fin Scientific  

/ fĭn /

1. One of the winglike or paddlelike parts of a fish, dolphin, or whale that are used for propelling, steering, and balancing in water.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• finless
  adjective
• finlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• finning
  present
• finned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• fin
  simple
• fins
  simple
• have finned
  perfect
• has finned
  perfect
• am finning
  progressive
• are finning
  progressive
• is finning
  progressive
• have been finning
  perfect progressive
• has been finning
  perfect progressive

Past

• finned
  simple
• had finned
  perfect
• was finning
  progressive
• were finning
  progressive
• had been finning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will fin
  simple
• will have finned
  perfect
• will be finning
  progressive
• will have been finning
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of fin¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English, Old English finn; cognate with Dutch vin, Low German finne; akin to Swedish fena; probably akin to Latin pinna ( def. ); see also pen ¹ ( def. )

Origin of fin²

First recorded in 1865–70; earlier finnip, finnup, fin(n)if “a five-pound note,” from Yiddish fin(e)f “five,” from Middle High German vumf, vimf; see origin at five

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Explanation

A fin is the part of a fish's body that protrudes into the water and helps it balance and move in various directions. Sharks use their dorsal fins to stabilize their bodies as they propel through the water. Fish, whales, dolphins, and other aquatic animals have fins on various parts of their bodies. Surfboards often have a rear fin that works in a similar way, helping to keep the board steady and aid in making turns. Ships, cars, and aircraft also have fins that assist with balance. In Old English, it was finn, which probably comes from the Latin pinna, "feather or wing."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fin fin. Fin. Fin FIN fins finned finning

Adjusting which fin receives light and how frequently it is illuminated allows the team to control both its speed and direction.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Each fin could be activated independently using light, giving the researchers a simple way to control the robot's movements.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Saudi Arabia’s national flag could be seen on what appeared to be a tail fin in multiple shots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Because while these boots may not have a telltale fin, people will still see you coming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Escuse, aye juan tu fin amen namad Henry.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

After long observation and many trials they decided that fin. strips of metal screening tacked to the ceiling are what flies like best.

From Time Magazine Archive

“That’s when I lost part of my tail and cracked my fin. Not a big deal when I’m in fish form, but it’s a bit inconvenient here at Sea Bottom.”

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

“Look at the fin. Floppy on top. It’s not a shark.”

From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

II, 5 ad fin., note.316.Cf. note on Cuichelm, II, 9.

From Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Cuthbert Bede

Ferrandat, et not. gl. in c. fin. de sortil. et l. sed cum ambo. ff. de jud.

From Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 3 by Peter Anthony Motteux

Moss and Njemile were getting off at the MacArthur station the next morning when Njemile said, “I declare this year over. Fin. Cerrado. Done.”

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Fin. iv. 14; defendere, an actual 215 attack, as to defend, in opp. to deserere.

From Döderlein's Hand-book of Latin Synonymes by Ludwig Döderlein

Translations from Greek poets occur in the philosophical works, e.g. de Fin. v.

From The Student's Companion to Latin Authors by George Middleton

In the Hortensius Cicero appeared as the champion of philosophy: De Fin. i.

From The Student's Companion to Latin Authors by George Middleton

“Nothing of the kind,” said Fin., drying his eyes, and endeavouring to look sorry and sentimental.

From Humours of Irish Life by Various

Fin Baxter, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Jamie George, Will Stuart, George Furbank and Ben Curry - among others - have all been short of minutes or form this season.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

They said it could rise even higher if Salesforce’s acquisitions of Contentful and Fin close in the upcoming weeks.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

The updated guidance reflects an expected boost from organic growth as well as the company’s deals for Contentful and Fin, which it expects to close in the coming weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

"Following Fin Tarling's tragic passing on Friday, the NSN Development Team has withdrawn from the remaining Volta a Portugal stages," NSN said in a statement on Saturday morning.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

“Well, your mother is a politician’s wife,” Fin said, smiling slightly.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

“We figured out a day before we started shooting that these things don’t quite marry up,” said Johnstone, who turned to FIN Design and Effects of Australia to blend his M3GANs together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2023

USA 1-0 FIN 20:00 That’s the end of the period — the goal from defenseman Faulk, a Carolina prospect who now plays for Minnesota-Duluth, is all the scoring in a relatively tame opening stanza.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2010

USA 3-2 FIN … two points for the Amerks, one for the Finns.

From New York Times ● Dec. 27, 2010

In fact, "Breathless" is dedicated to Monogram Pictures, an American studio that specialized in grade-B crime dramas, and carries no other credits: only the title at the beginning and the word "FIN" at the end.

From Salon ● May 29, 2010

They may be distinguished from sei whales in the following similar ways: Fin WhaleSei WhaleDORSAL FIN Slightly falcate, forms angle of less than 40° with back slightly more than one-third forward from tail.

From Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic A Guide to Their Identification by David Caldwell

But part of her longs for a companion without fins and scales.

From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026

The gel forms two fins, each coated with a layer of muscle cells far thinner than a human hair.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

Before you ask: Yes, there were sharks, but Breed said the fins were spotted by her team from so far away that they weren’t “even a part of the swim.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

“He has fins, as people say in this thing.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

She wanted to see every single detail: how they landed on the water with barely a whisper, how their bodies resembled a night sky full of stars, how clouds of steam hissed from their fins.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

On the opposite half, two finned and muscular airspeeders from “Attack of the Clones” tailgate each other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

The fossils extend the earliest known record of finned octopuses by about 15 million years and push back the broader octopus timeline by around 5 million years.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2026

Magnus wrote in his 1555 book they were 200-feet long with broad, forked tails and finned feet, with faces resembling warthogs and dual blow-holes on the top of their heads.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 28, 2023

Cadillac had been better known for the massive, finned cars of the past and the Seville’s fuel economy and handling caught the attention of drivers.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 23, 2023

The minute he got his hands on it, the fish finned him and he went to crying.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

Some also suggested that, ironically, finning bans may have contributed to the rise in shark mortality.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 10, 2024

But that’s changed: A growing number of finning prohibitions in recent decades have made slicing and dumping illegal in more than 90 percent of the world’s oceans.

From National Geographic ● Jul. 17, 2023

The practice of shark finning, whereby sharks are caught for their fins and their carcasses then dumped back into the ocean, has been banned in U.S. waters for decades.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2022

And finning is already illegal in U.S. waters.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 15, 2022

The sale had not long been concluded, and the little community were preparing to obey Acton's order to "Come outside," when the latter rushed into the room finning with rage.

From The Triple Alliance Its trials and triumphs by Harold Avery

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