the act of finishing; "his best finish in a major tournament was third"; "the speaker's finishing was greeted with applause"
(wine tasting) the taste of a wine on the back of the tongue (as it is swallowed); "the wine has a nutty flavor and a pleasant finish"
the downfall of someone (as of persons on one side of a conflict); "booze will be the finish of him"; "it was a fight to the finish"
designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race); "excitement grew as the finish neared"; "my horse was several lengths behind at the finish"; "the winner is the team with the most points at the finish"
the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey); "a crowd assembled at the finish"; "he was nearly exhausted as their destination came into view"
cause to finish a relationship with somebody; "That finished me with Mary"
provide with a finish; "The carpenter finished the table beautifully"
a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
complete victory
place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game; "Kasparov checkmated his opponent after only a few moves"
an initial accomplishment that opens the way for further developments; "the town became a beachhead in the campaign to ban smoking outdoors"; "they are presently attempting to gain a foothold in the Russian market"
a bridgehead on the enemy's shoreline seized by an amphibious operation; "the Germans were desperately trying to contain the Anzio beachhead"
a defensive post at the end of a bridge nearest to the enemy
an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies; "an attempt to secure a bridgehead behind enemy lines"; "the only foothold left for British troops in Europe was Gibraltar"
the decisive moment in a novel or play; "the deathbed scene is the climax of the play"
arrangement of clauses in ascending order of forcefulness
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding; "the climax of the artist's career"; "in the flood tide of his success"
a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude; "without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor"; "don't argue about shades of meaning"