▪ I. finesse, n.
(fɪˈnɛs)
Forms: 6 fynes(se, 7–8 fines(s, 6– finesse.
[a. F. finesse = Pr. and Sp. fineza, Cat. finesa, It. finezza:—Com. Rom. *finitia, f. fino fine a. (Many of the early examples may belong to fineness; cf. the spellings playnes, prophaness for plainness, profaneness.)]
† 1. a. = fineness in various senses; purity, degree of purity (of precious metals); clearness (of a liquid); slenderness, delicacy of structure or texture.
| 1528 Paynel Salerne's Regim. H b, Wyne made hotte, by reason of the clerenes and fynes, ouer cometh a mans brayne the soner. 1549 Latimer 1st Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 35 The fynes of the Silver I can not se. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 59 b, Tamarisk hath much finesse in the partes. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learning i. iv. §5. 20 Copwebs of learning, admirable for the finesse of thread and worke. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj., Stat. David II, 44 That it be equivalent, & conforme to the current money of England in wecht & fines. 1665 Phil. Trans. I. 66 Sand and Powders of several finesses. 1700–1 Act 12–13 Will. III, c. 4 §3 Silver Vessell Plate..less in finess then according to the Standard of this Kingdom. |
† b. Ostentatious elegance or splendour. Obs.
| 1549 Olde Erasm. Par. Eph. Prol. ij, Therefore where vnnecessary fynesse wanteth, accept true meanyng playnesse. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie iii. xxiii. (Arb.) 273 Too much finesse and curiositie is not commendable in an Embassadour..I haue knowen..such of them, as studied more vpon what apparell they should weare..then they did vpon th' effect of their errant. |
2. Delicacy or subtlety of manipulation or discrimation; refinement, refined grace.
Now rare, and only as a foreign word.
| 1564 A. B. tr. Jewel's Apol. L v, The old fynesse and eloquence that Cicero and Cesar vsed..in the Latin tonge. 1580 Frampton Dial. Yron & Steele 148 b, I doe not speake of the finesse and delicatenesse that there is in sodering of it. 1704 F. Fuller Med. Gymn. Pref., The Perfection of an Operation shall depend upon a certain Finesse. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Finesse..among us, it is chiefly used to denote that peculiar delicacy or subtlety perceived in works of the mind..This man understands all the Finesses of his art. The substance and necessary part of a language is learnt at a little expence: It is the Finessės and delicacies that cost the most. 1750 Chesterfield Lett. III. ccxxiv. 15 To understand all the force and finesse of those three languages. 1782 Cowper Table-t. 652 His musical finesse was such. 1791 F. Burney Diary 2 Aug., Her smile, which was rare, had a finesse very engaging. 1821 Hazlitt Table-t. I. iv. 90 Tact, finesse, is nothing but the being completely aware of the feeling belonging to certain situations, passions, etc. 1878 Masque Poets 31 Where the gold festal goblets stand Carved by Lysippus' rare finesse. |
3. Artfulness, cunning, subtle strategy.
| 1530 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. I. 298, I knaw ellis the fynes of the man and nayn mayr dowbyll in our realm. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. v. (1739) 12 Nor could Austin with his miracles or finesse settle one footstep of his Church-policy amongst them. 1713 Steele Guardian No. 174 ¶4 Nor shall I speak dishonourably of some little artifice and finesse used upon these occasions. 1798 Jane Austen Northang. Abb. (1833) I. v. 21 She was not experienced in the finesse of love. 1869 Rawlinson Anc. Hist. 202 He was a master of finesse. |
4. a. An artifice, stratagem, trick.
| 1562 J. Shute Cambine's Turk. Wars 4 When the Turcke dyd understande this fynesse of Scanderbeg. 1615 Daniel Hymen's Tri. (1717) 111 Full of their Finesses, Serve their own Turns in others Businesses. 1756 Monitor No. 27 ¶12 The project..is..as delicate a Finesse in politicks as has been played for many a year. 1790 Beatson Nav. & Mil. Mem. 281 By way of finesse, she saluted the Admiral. 1839 Times 6 Apr. in Spirit Metrop. Conserv. Press (1840) I. 196 Though cordially sensible to the merits of a bold finesse. |
b. In whist: (see quot. 1862). In bridge: (see quot. 1959).
| 1862 ‘Cavendish’ Whist (1870) 28 A finesse is an endeavour, by the second or third player, to obtain or keep the command of a suit by heading a trick with an inferior card, though holding a higher one of the suit not in sequence. 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVI. 371/1 (s.v. Bridge), Deep finesses should be made when there is no other way of stealing a trick. 1958 Listener 18 Dec. 1053/2 West could look for twelve top tricks and the club finesse at worst. 1959 Reese & Dormer Bridge Player's Dict. 89 A finesse is an attempt to profit from a favorable lie of the cards. A player tries to win or establish a trick with a card that is not the highest held by his side. |
▪ II. finesse, v.
(fɪˈnɛs)
[f. prec. n.]
1. a. intr. To use finesse, artifice, or stratagem.
| 1778 Conquerors 61 The flights finesse. 1803 Edin. Rev. II. 103 But our author can hector as well as finesse. 1867 M. E. Braddon Aurora Floyd i. 15 She diplomatized and finessed with them as if she had been canvassing the county. |
b. trans. To conduct by artifice; to bring or modify by finesse or delicate handling into (a specified state). Also with away.
| 1814 Jane Austen Watsons Concl. (1879) 290 Till such time as Reginald de Courcy could be talked, flattered and finessed into an affection. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. I. xiv. §16 A battlement..may be decorated..or finessed away into traceries. 1885 L. Wingfield B. Philpot II. iii. 75 The Bill had been finessed through the first stage. |
2. a. Whist and Bridge. intr. To attempt to take a trick by finesse; also trans. To play (a particular card) for the purpose of finessing.
| 1746 Hoyle Whist (ed. 6) 4 He finesses upon your Partner. Ibid. 40 Your Adversary finesses the Knave. 1752 A. Murphy Gray's-Inn Jrnl. No. 7 ¶4, I can now return my Partner's Suit, lead through the Honour, Finesse [etc.]. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xxxv, Mr. Pickwick had not..finessed the heart. 1885 Proctor Whist vii. 86 You may finesse more deeply in trumps than in plain suits. 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVI. 371/1 (s.v. Bridge), It is in general unsound to finesse against a card that must be unguarded. 1960 J. Betjeman Summoned by Bells i. 5 If you'd finessed my heart And played your diamond. |
b. Croquet. intr. To play one's ball out of the adversary's way.
| 1875 J. D. Heath Croquet Player 65 Blue's best game would be to finesse to the corner near him. |
Hence fiˈnessed ppl. a.; fiˈnessing vbl. n. Also fiˈnesser, a schemer, strategist.
| 1746 Hoyle Whist (ed. 6) 68 Finessing, means the endeavouring to gain an Advantage by Art and Skill. 1774 Goldsm. Retal. 106 If they were not his own by finessing and trick. 1835 Miss Sedgwick Linwoods (1873) I. 212 Contriving..like an expert finesser. 1851 Ruskin Stones Ven. I. xxi. §11 Educated imbecility and finessed foolishness. 1861 Macm. Mag. Dec. 134 Finessing is scarcely ever admissible in quadrille, the number of cards being too limited. |