1. (

• coating ,
• finish ,
• finishing

) a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance); "the boat had a metallic finish"; "he applied a coat of a clear finish"; "when the finish is too thin it is difficult to apply evenly" ;

2. (

• stopping_point ,
• finale ,
• finis ,
• finish ,
• last ,
• conclusion ,
• close

) the temporal end; the concluding time; "the stopping point of each round was signaled by a bell"; "the market was up at the finish"; "they were playing better at the close of the season" ;

3. (

• polish ,
• refinement ,
• culture ,
• cultivation ,
• finish

) a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality; "they performed with great polish"; "I admired the exquisite refinement of his prose"; "almost an inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is almost art";

4. (

• finish ,
• destination ,
• goal

) the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey); "a crowd assembled at the finish"; "he was nearly exhausted as their destination came into view" ;

5. (

• finish

) designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the winner is the team with the most points at the finish" ;

6. (

• finish ,

) the downfall of someone (as of persons on one side of a conflict); "booze will be the finish of him"; "it was a fight to the finish" ;

7. (

• ending ,
• conclusion ,
• finish ,

) event whose occurrence ends something; "his death marked the ending of an era"; "when these final episodes are broadcast it will be the finish of the show" ;

8. (

• finish

) (wine tasting) the taste of a wine on the back of the tongue (as it is swallowed); "the wine has a nutty flavor and a pleasant finish" ;

9. (

• finish ,
• finishing

) the act of finishing; "his best finish in a major tournament was third"; "the speaker's finishing was greeted with applause" ;

1. (

• complete ,
• finish ,

) come or bring to a finish or an end; "He finished the dishes"; "She completed the requirements for her Master's Degree"; "The fastest runner finished the race in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours" ;

2. (

• finish_up ,
• land_up ,
• fetch_up ,
• end_up ,
• wind_up ,
• finish ,

) finally be or do something; "He ended up marrying his high school sweetheart"; "he wound up being unemployed and living at home again" ;

3. (

• end ,
• stop ,
• finish ,
• terminate ,
• cease ,

) have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo" ;

4. (

• finish

) provide with a finish; "The carpenter finished the table beautifully"; "this shirt is not finished properly" ;

5. (

• eat_up ,
• finish ,
• polish_off

) finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table; "She polished off the remaining potatoes" ;

6. (

• finish ,

) cause to finish a relationship with somebody; "That finished me with Mary" ;