Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Finish \Fin"ish\, v. i.
   1. To come to an end; to terminate.

            His days may finish ere that hapless time. --Shak.

   2. To end; to die. [R.] --Shak.

Finish \Fin"ish\, n.
   1. That which finishes, puts an end to? or perfects.

   2. (Arch.) The joiner work and other finer work required for
      the completion of a building, especially of the interior.
      See {Inside finish}, and {Outside finish}.

   3. (Fine Arts)
      (a) The labor required to give final completion to any
          work; hence, minute detail, careful elaboration, or
          the like.
      (b) See {Finishing coat}, under {Finishing}.

   4. The result of completed labor, as on the surface of an
      object; manner or style of finishing; as, a rough, dead,
      or glossy finish given to cloth, stone, metal, etc.

   5. Completion; -- opposed to {start}, or {beginning}.

Finish \Fin"ish\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Finished}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Finishing}.] [F. finir (with a stem finiss- in several
   forms, whence E. -ish: see -ish.),fr. L. finire to limit,
   finish, end, fr. finis boundary, limit, end; perh. for
   fidnis, and akin findere to cleave, E. fissure.]
   1. To arrive at the end of; to bring to an end; to put an end
      to; to make an end of; to terminate.

            And heroically hath finished A life heroic.
                                                  --Milton.

   2. To bestow the last required labor upon; to complete; to
      bestow the utmost possible labor upon; to perfect; to
      accomplish; to polish.

   Syn: To end; terminate; close; conclude; complete;
        accomplish; perfect.

Source : WordNet®

finish
     n 1: a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the
          substance that gives it that appearance); "the boat had
          a metallic finish"; "he applied a coat of a clear
          finish"; "when the finish is too thin it is difficult to
          apply evenly" [syn: {coating}, {finishing}]
     2: 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"
     3: the act of finishing; "his best finish in a major tournament
        was third"; "the speaker's finishing was greeted with
        applause" [syn: {finishing}] [ant: {beginning}]
     4: the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey);
        "a crowd assembled at the finish"; "he was nearly
        exhuasted as their destination came into view" [syn: {destination},
         {goal}]
     5: the temporal end; the concluding time; "the stopping point
        of each round was signaled by a bell"; "the market was up
        at the finish"; "they were playing better at the close of
        the season" [syn: {stopping point}, {finale}, {finis}, {last},
         {conclusion}, {close}]
     6: (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"
     7: event whose occurrence ends something; "his death marked the
        ending of an era"; "when these final episodes are
        broadcast it will be the finish of the show" [syn: {ending},
         {conclusion}] [ant: {beginning}]
     8: 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"
     9: a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or
        impeccable quality; "they performed with great polish"; "I
        admired the exquisite refinement of his prose"; "almost an
        inspiration which gives to all work that finish which is
        almost art"--Joseph Conrad [syn: {polish}, {refinement}, {culture},
         {cultivation}]

finish
     v 1: come or bring to a finish or an end; "He finished the
          dishes"; "She completed the requirements for her
          Master's Degree"; "The fastest runner finished the race
          in just over 2 hours; others finished in over 4 hours"
          [syn: {complete}]
     2: finally be or do something; "He ended up marrying his high
        school sweetheart"; "he wound up being unemployed and
        living at home again" [syn: {finish up}, {land up}, {fetch
        up}, {end up}, {wind up}]
     3: have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense;
        either spatial or metaphorical; "the bronchioles terminate
        in a capillary bed"; "Your rights stop where you infringe
        upon the rights of other"; "My property ends by the
        bushes"; "The symphony ends in a pianissimo" [syn: {end},
        {stop}, {terminate}, {cease}] [ant: {begin}]
     4: provide with a finish; "The carpenter finished the table
        beautifully"
     5: finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table;
        "She polished off the remaining potatoes" [syn: {eat up},
        {polish off}]
     6: cause to finish a relationship with somebody; "That finished
        me with Mary"