What's the difference between dainty and fine?

Dainty


Definition:

  • (n.) That which is delicious or delicate; a delicacy.
  • (n.) A term of fondness.
  • (n.) Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in anything.
  • (superl.) Rare; valuable; costly.
  • (superl.) Delicious to the palate; toothsome.
  • (superl.) Nice; delicate; elegant, in form, manner, or breeding; well-formed; neat; tender.
  • (superl.) Requiring dainties. Hence: Overnice; hard to please; fastidious; squeamish; scrupulous; ceremonious.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Had they bothered to inquire of a veteran from the ranks, they might have heard how exasperating it is to see the dainty long-range patriots of Labour thrashing it out with the staunch gutter jingoists of the Conservative party – and barely a non-commissioned vet among them.
  • (2) Across this relatively peaceful corner of the Horn of Africa, where black-headed sheep scamper among the thorn bushes, dainty gerenuk balance on their hind legs to nibble from hardy shrubs, and skinny camels wearing rough-hewn bells lumber over rocky slopes, people long accustomed to a harsh environment find they cannot cope after years of below-average rainfall.
  • (3) That was the week when the Bake Off contestants were called on to make dainty biscuits and elaborate gingerbread concoctions, following previous showdowns over who could make the fluffiest muffins and the creamiest custard tarts.
  • (4) His dainty close control was beautiful and took him past both Pique and Puyol; then, from 10 yards, he deliberately poked the ball wide of Casillas with his right foot, and it came flush off the post.
  • (5) Ighalo clearly had the beating of Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala, while Touré, playing in a midfield two alongside Fernandinho, had his ego pricked by a couple of dainty touches from José Manuel Jurado.
  • (6) Their denial fits perfectly with their support for free market economics, opposition to state intervention and hatred of all those latte-slurping, quinoa-munching liberals, with their arrogant manners and dainty hybrid cars, who presume to tell honest men and women how to live.
  • (7) From the outset, Arsenal had been the more sprightly and inventive, and that pattern continued when Cesc Fábregas clipped a dainty ball over the Spurs defence for Nasri to chase.
  • (8) Muamba dinked a deft reverse pass to Cattermole, who slipped a dainty ball behind the German defence in anticipation of a surge by Walcott.
  • (9) They are laughing at the dainty affectations of the Leawoof toffs.
  • (10) After a semi-final that saw platters of immaculate choux swans, jewel-coloured macaroons and dainty sponges put before the judges, the technical challenge – a stand of sweet fondant fancies, nestled, pink and delicious as if awaiting a party of angelic children – was a reminder that even a GBBO finalist still needs the guidance of Berry.
  • (11) Balotelli peeled off his marker to run on to it and then, from 10 yards, tried to lift a dainty lob over the advancing goalkeeper ... but it was the finish of a dilletante rather than a deadly striker and the ball dropped meekly wide.
  • (12) StickmanLA Life at the old soldiers' hotel In drama, seaside hotels are usually inhabited by retired colonels and majors in blazers, and dainty elderly ladies.
  • (13) From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness.
  • (14) In person she is dainty, almost exaggeratedly ladylike, and much more playfully ambivalent than the public debate about her book.
  • (15) On Friday, Johnson and Dan Hannan said that in all probability the number of foreigners coming here won’t fall I am not going to be over-dainty about mendacity.
  • (16) Perhaps now is the time to reach for altogether plainer tableware and glasses, for Kaj Frank bowls at one end of the price range, but more likely to Duralex tumblers at the other as we face a future of, as it were, porridge and tap water rather than the fine wines and dainty dishes it's hard not to associate with Waterford and Wedgwood.
  • (17) A mong the many strangers to personal daintiness in Game of Thrones is a character called Shagga son of Dolf.
  • (18) And it was a goal of impressive daintiness, to boot.
  • (19) 3.00am GMT Packers 21 - 49ers 21, 0:03 2nd quarter Kaepernick is a maniac - there is no dainty QB slide with him.
  • (20) Jason Puncheon did well to recycle the ball to Yohan Cabaye after Albion cleared a corner and the Frenchman floated a dainty cross over Dawson towards the back post.

Fine


Definition:

  • (superl.) Finished; brought to perfection; refined; hence, free from impurity; excellent; superior; elegant; worthy of admiration; accomplished; beautiful.
  • (superl.) Aiming at show or effect; loaded with ornament; overdressed or overdecorated; showy.
  • (superl.) Nice; delicate; subtle; exquisite; artful; skillful; dexterous.
  • (superl.) Not coarse, gross, or heavy
  • (superl.) Not gross; subtile; thin; tenous.
  • (superl.) Not coarse; comminuted; in small particles; as, fine sand or flour.
  • (superl.) Not thick or heavy; slender; filmy; as, a fine thread.
  • (superl.) Thin; attenuate; keen; as, a fine edge.
  • (superl.) Made of fine materials; light; delicate; as, fine linen or silk.
  • (superl.) Having (such) a proportion of pure metal in its composition; as, coins nine tenths fine.
  • (superl.) (Used ironically.)
  • (a.) To make fine; to refine; to purify, to clarify; as, to fine gold.
  • (a.) To make finer, or less coarse, as in bulk, texture, etc.; as. to fine the soil.
  • (a.) To change by fine gradations; as (Naut.), to fine down a ship's lines, to diminish her lines gradually.
  • (n.) End; conclusion; termination; extinction.
  • (n.) A sum of money paid as the settlement of a claim, or by way of terminating a matter in dispute; especially, a payment of money imposed upon a party as a punishment for an offense; a mulct.
  • (n.) A final agreement concerning lands or rents between persons, as the lord and his vassal.
  • (n.) A sum of money or price paid for obtaining a benefit, favor, or privilege, as for admission to a copyhold, or for obtaining or renewing a lease.
  • (n.) To impose a pecuniary penalty upon for an offense or breach of law; to set a fine on by judgment of a court; to punish by fine; to mulct; as, the trespassers were fined ten dollars.
  • (v. i.) To pay a fine. See Fine, n., 3 (b).
  • (v. t.) To finish; to cease; or to cause to cease.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The fine structure of neurofibrillary tangles in the hippocampal gyrus, substantia nigra, pontine nuclei and locus coeruleus of the brain was postmortem studied in a case of progressive supranuclear palsy.
  • (2) As a group, the three mammalian proteins resemble bovine serum conglutinin and behave as lectins with rather broad sugar specificities directed at certain non-reducing terminal N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, glucose and fucose residues, but with subtle differences in fine specificities.
  • (3) On the way back to Pristina later, the lawyer told me everything was fine.
  • (4) The move would require some secondary legislation; higher fines for employers paying less than the minimum wage would require new primary legislation.
  • (5) The surface of all cells was covered by a fuzzy coat consisting of fine hairs or bristles.
  • (6) The fine needle aspiration cytology features of twelve peripherally located bronchioloalveolar cell carcinomas of the lung diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy are described.
  • (7) Recognition of this deficiency in our knowledge spurred a belated explosion of research that began with an exploration of the fine structure of the mesothelium.
  • (8) There were pronounced differences from the fine structural aspects in late infantile cases.
  • (9) TCR beta chain gene expression of individual T cell clones that share the same MHC class II restriction and similar fine specificity for the encephalitogenic NH2 terminus of the autoantigen myelin basic protein (MBP) has been examined.
  • (10) The use of sigma 54 promoters, known to require cognate binding proteins, could allow the fine-tuning that provides the temporal ordering of flagellar gene transcription.
  • (11) While there has been almost no political reform during their terms of office, there have been several ambitious steps forward in terms of environmental policy: anti-desertification campaigns; tree planting; an environmental transparency law; adoption of carbon targets; eco-services compensation; eco accounting; caps on water; lower economic growth targets; the 12th Five-Year Plan; debate and increased monitoring of PM2.5 [fine particulate matter] and huge investments in eco-cities, "clean car" manufacturing, public transport, energy-saving devices and renewable technology.
  • (12) That, however, is reserved for the most serious cases and the indications are that a fine is the likely outcome.
  • (13) These findings in a patient with acute leukaemia are strongly suspicious of fungal infection, and percutaneous fine-needle aspiration under ultrasound or computed tomography-guidance is indicated.
  • (14) Any MP who claims this is not statutory regulation is a liar, and should be forced to retract and apologise, or face a million pound fine.
  • (15) There’s a fine line between pushing them to their limits and avoiding injury, and Alberto is a master at it.
  • (16) While circulating the quarries is illegal – you risk a fine of up to €60 – neither the IGC nor the police seem to mind the veteran cataphiles who possess a good knowledge of the underground space, and who respect their heritage.
  • (17) No differences in cell fine structure or in growth factor requirements for cell proliferation were noted between normal and CF cells.
  • (18) of complete tryptic digests of the IRBPs indicate that, although they have in common a similar preponderance of hydrophobic peptides, all three proteins differ extensively in their fine structure.
  • (19) Failure to meet these deadlines, and others listed in the judgement, face a daily fine of 150,000 reais.
  • (20) Nuclear DNA distribution in fine-needle specimens from 112 breast carcinomas and 45 prostatic tumours was studied.