DEFINITIONS
The
2019 WORD
OF THE YEAR is...

finespun

or fine-spun

[ fahyn-spuhn ]
/ ˈfaɪnˈspʌn /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR finespun ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

spun or drawn out to a fine thread.
highly or excessively refined or subtle.

Words related to finespun

elegant, exquisite, fine, graceful, nice, polished, refined, sophisticated, subtle

Words nearby finespun

fineness, fineness ratio, finer, finery, fines herbes, finespun, finesse, finest, finestra, finfish, finfoot

Origin of finespun

First recorded in 1640–50; fine1 + spun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for finespun

  • It was the tint of the copper beech, thick, finespun, with intermittent twists that gave it a wavy effect.

    The Pagan Madonna|Harold MacGrath

  • All his finespun hopes had been ruthlessly rent by the hand of reality.

    The Song of the Wolf|Frank Mayer

  • Mr. Finespun was the gentleman whose retirement from the ministry the Duke of St. Bungay had now announced.

    Can You Forgive Her?|Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for finespun

finespun
/ (ˈfaɪnˈspʌn) /

adjective

spun or drawn out to a fine thread
excessively subtle or refined; not practical
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012