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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

By directing light onto either fin, the researchers can trigger muscle contractions that make the fin flap and push the robot through water.

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

The fin whale was filmed by videographer Rhys Morgan off the Pembrokeshire coast in Wales, and it shows the mammal's expandable pleats take in up to 18,000 gallons of water and krill.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

Known as The Flying Kangaroo for the logo displayed on its tail fin and elsewhere, Qantas has already scheduled its first nonstop Sydney-to-London flight for October 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The house was somewhat musty and abandoned, like everything in sight, and needed a number of repairs, but its former dignity and fin de siecle charms were intact.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

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

III, 3, ad fin., note.558.Innisboffin, off the coast of Mayo.

From Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Cuthbert Bede

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

From Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England by Cuthbert Bede

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

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

Fin. i. 16. iii. 29; lastly, jactura is a voluntary loss, by means of which one hopes to escape a greater loss or evil, a sacrifice.

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

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

From Humours of Irish Life by Various

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

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

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

She decided to bring nothing but the clothes on her back and the iron dagger that Fin had given her.

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 engineers developed an extremely thin swimming robot that uses living muscle tissue to move its fins.

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

Nelmes said the way to spot a humpback whale was by the overall shape, white pectoral fins, and knobbly skin also known as barnacles, as well as the whales' behaviour.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

New cars, heavy with fins and chrome, were parked in front of miners’ houses from New Camp to Frog Level, and new swing sets, brightly painted, were erected in the backyards.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

The fossils belonged to an extinct group of finned octopuses known as Cirrata.

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

Large finned automobiles that resemble 1950s classics hover over smooth roads, as do baby carriages across perfectly clean sidewalks in perfectly manicured suburbs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2023

The little fish leaped from the water to show the smooth shine of their finned tails and the rabbits turned their rumps so the Terrible Things could see for themselves.

From "Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust" by Eve Bunting

But regulations that have reduced the frequency of finning have not saved shark lives, an international research team reports in the journal Science this week.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 11, 2024

The good news, the authors of the new study say, is that both the data and the interviews indicate that wherever regulations specifically address more than just finning, shark deaths tend to drop.

From Science Magazine ● Jan. 10, 2024

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

The practice, called finning, leaves the fish unable to swim and survive.

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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