fineness

[fahyn-nis]

noun

1. the state or quality of being fine.

2. the proportion of pure precious metal in an alloy, often expressed in parts per thousand.

ˈfineness

/ ˈfaɪnnɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of being fine

2. a measurement of the purity of precious metal, expressed as the number of parts per thousand that is precious metal

Word History and Origins

Origin of fineness¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; fine ¹, -ness