finespun

finespun
adjective
1. developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety
-

the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense

• Syn: ↑delicate
• Similar to: ↑refined
2. developed in excessively fine detail
-

finespun distinctions

• Syn: ↑hairsplitting
• Similar to: ↑precise
• Derivationally related forms: ↑hairsplitting (for: ↑hairsplitting)

* * *

\\ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷\ adjective
1. : developed or elaborated with extreme care, skill, delicacy, ingenuity

the satire touches also, with finespun ridicule, every kind of human pretense or affectation — Carl van Doren

a finespun novel

2. : too subtle, tenuous, or refined : engrossed or concerned with narrow or minute detail : developed in excessively fine or hairsplitting detail

the emergency … does not permit of finespun distinctions and long arguments — Newsweek

finespun theories

economics has long enjoyed the reputation of being the most finespun … of the social sciences — R.A.Lester

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/fuyn"spun"/, adj.
1. spun or drawn out to a fine thread.
2. highly or excessively refined or subtle.
Also, fine-spun.
[1640-50; FINE1 + SPUN]

* * *

fineˈspun adjective
1. Finely spun out
2. Over-subtle
• • •
Main Entry: ↑fine

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Finespun — Fine spun , a. Spun so as to be fine; drawn to a fine thread; attenuated; hence, unsubstantial; visionary; as, finespun theories. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • finespun — [fīn′spun΄] adj. 1. spun or drawn out to extreme fineness; delicate; fragile 2. extremely or overly subtle …   English World dictionary

  • finespun — adjective Date: 1642 developed with extreme care or delicacy; also developed in excessively fine or subtle detail …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • finespun — /fuyn spun /, adj. 1. spun or drawn out to a fine thread. 2. highly or excessively refined or subtle. Also, fine spun. [1640 50; FINE1 + SPUN] * * * …   Universalium

  • finespun — adjective a) spun into a fine thread b) delicate and subtle, with fine detail …   Wiktionary

  • finespun — Synonyms and related words: airy, attenuate, attenuated, boyish, dainty, delicate, diaphanous, diluted, downy, ethereal, filmy, fine, fine drawn, fine grained, flimsy, fluffy, frail, fuzzy, gauzy, girlish, gossamer, gossamery, gracile, hairline,… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • finespun — I (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. refined, slight, subtle, hairsplitting; see dainty 1 , nice 3 , trivial . II (Roget s Thesaurus II) adjective So slight as to be difficult to notice or appreciate: delicate, fine1, nice, refined, subtle. See BIG …   English dictionary for students

  • finespun — adj. thin, delicate, flimsy (about fabric, etc.); excessively refined; purified …   English contemporary dictionary

  • finespun — adj 1. sheer, delicate, fine, tissuey, flimsy, gauzy, gauzelike, cobwebby; light, filmy, diaphanous, transparent, translucent; gossamer, lacy, lacelike, filigree; filamentary, filamentous, filamented, fibriform, fibrillar, fibrilliform,… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

  • finespun — fine′spun′ or fine′ spun′ adj. 1) spun or drawn out to a fine thread 2) highly or excessively refined or subtle • Etymology: 1640–50 …   From formal English to slang

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