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fins

more about fins

fins

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Fin  \Fin\,  n.[OE.  finne,  fin,  AS  finn;  akin  to  D.  vin,  G.  & 
  Dan.  finne,  Sw  fena,  L.  pinna,  penna,  a  wing,  feather.  Cf 
  {pen}  a  feather.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  An  organ  of  a  fish,  consisting  of  a  membrane 
  supported  by  rays,  or  little  bony  or  cartilaginous 
  ossicles,  and  serving  to  balance  and  propel  it  in  the 
  water. 
 
  Note:  Fishes  move  through  the  water  chiefly  by  means  of  the 
  caudal  fin  or  tail,  the  principal  office  of  the  other 
  fins  being  to  balance  or  direct  the  body,  though  they 
  are  also  to  a  certain  extent,  employed  in  producing 
  motion. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  A  membranous,  finlike,  swimming  organ,  as  in 
  pteropod  and  heteropod  mollusks. 
 
  3.  A  finlike  organ  or  attachment;  a  part  of  an  object  or 
  product  which  protrudes  like  a  fin,  as: 
  a  The  hand.  [Slang] 
  b  (Com.)  A  blade  of  whalebone.  [Eng.]  --McElrath. 
  c  (Mech.)  A  mark  or  ridge  left  on  a  casting  at  the 
  junction  of  the  parts  of  a  mold. 
  d  (Mech.)  The  thin  sheet  of  metal  squeezed  out  between 
  the  collars  of  the  rolls  in  the  process  of  rolling. 
  --Raymond. 
  e  (Mech.)  A  feather;  a  spline. 
 
  4.  A  finlike  appendage,  as  to  submarine  boats. 
 
  {Apidose  fin}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  under  {Adipose},  a. 
 
  {Fin  ray}  (Anat.),  one  of  the  hornlike,  cartilaginous,  or 
  bony,  dermal  rods  which  form  the  skeleton  of  the  fins  of 
  fishes. 
 
  {Fin  whale}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  finback. 
 
  {Paired  fins}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  pectoral  and  ventral  fins, 
  corresponding  to  the  fore  and  hind  legs  of  the  higher 
  animals. 
 
  {Unpaired,  or  Median},  {fins}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  dorsal,  caudal, 
  and  anal  fins. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Finns  \Finns\,  n.  pl.;  sing.  {Finn}.  (Ethnol.) 
  a  Natives  of  Finland;  Finlanders. 
  b  A  branch  of  the  Mongolian  race,  inhabiting  Northern  and 
  Eastern  Europe,  including  the  Magyars,  Bulgarians, 
  Permians,  Lapps,  and  Finlanders.  [Written  also  {Fins}.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  fins 
  n  :  paddle-like  front  is  an  aid  in  swimming  (especially 
  underwater)  [syn:  {flipper},  {flippers},  {fin}]




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