Finisher

How to spell finisher

8 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce finisher

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does finisher mean?

1. nounA person or thing that completes a task, race, or contest, especially one good at carrying it through to the end.
2. nounA substance or tool used to give a surface its final coating, polish, or smooth appearance.

Finisher in a sentence

• Every finisher of the marathon received a commemorative medal.

• The carpenter applied a clear finisher to protect the oak tabletop.

• The coach praised her as a reliable finisher who never quit before the whistle.

• A quick spray of finisher gave the metal a glossy sheen.

Where does finisher come from?

Language of origin: French

This word is built on the verb finish, which English took from Old French in the 1300s. The Old French verb finiss-, the stem of fenir, came from Latin finire, meaning 'to bring to an end' or 'to set a boundary', itself from finis, the Latin noun for 'an end, limit, or boundary'. The same finis root still shows up in 'final', 'finite', and 'definition', all of which carry the idea of a marked-out end. Once finish was settled in English, the everyday agent suffix -er was added to name a person or thing that completes something, giving us finisher. The spelling trap is mild but real: the single n and the soft -sh- spelled 'sh' (not 'ti' or 'ci') trip a few writers, and the silent flow of finish-er keeps the e before the r.

How the word is built

• finish (from Latin finire: to end, complete)
• -er (one who, or that which, does)