What's the difference between fine and hairsplitting?

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.

Hairsplitting


Definition:

  • (a.) Making excessively nice or trivial distinctions in reasoning; subtle.
  • (n.) The act or practice of making trivial distinctions.

Example Sentences:

Words possibly related to "hairsplitting"