Lewis & Short

fīnĭo, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 4, v. a. [finis], to limit, bound, enclose within boundaries (class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: populi Romani imperium Rhenum finire, Caes. B. G. 4, 16, 4: quo (jugo) Cappadocia finitur ab Armenia, Auct. B. Alex. 35, 5: Tmolus Sardibus hinc, illinc parvis finitur Hypaepis, Ov. M. 11, 152; Vell. 2, 126, 3: rem res finire videtur (followed by terminare), Lucr. 1, 998: riparum clausas margine finit aquas, Ov. F. 2, 222: signum animo, Liv. 1, 18, 8: in ore sita lingua est, finita dentibus, Cic. N. D. 2, 59, 149.
    2. B. In partic.: finiens orbis or circulus, the horizon: illi orbes, qui aspectum nostrum definiunt, qui a Graecis ὁρίζοντες nominantur, a nobis finientes rectissime nominari possunt, Cic. Div. 2, 44, 92: circulus, Sen. Q. N. 5, 17, 2.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To set bounds to, restrain, check: equidem illud ipsum non nimium probo, philosophum loqui de cupiditatibus finiendis: an potest cupiditas finiri? Cic. Fin. 2, 9, 27; cf.: cupiditates satietate, id. ib. 2, 20, 64: deliberativas miror a quibusdam sola utilitate finitas, Quint. 3, 8, 1.
    2. B. For definio, to prescribe, determine, fix, appoint, assign: sepulcris novis finivit modum, Cic. Leg, 2, 26, 66: AD EAM REM RATIONE CVRSVS ANNVOS SACERDOTES FINIVNTO, id. ib. 2, 8, 20: spatia omnis temporis numero noctium, Caes. B. G. 6, 18, 2; cf.: Hercyniae silvae latitudo novem dierum iter patet; non enim aliter finiri potest, i. e. its extent cannot be described more accurately, id. ib. 6, 25, 1; so too is to be explained the disputed passage: hoc autem sphaerae genus, in quo solis et lunae motus inessent … in illa sphaera solida non potuisse finiri, this sort of (movable) celestial globe … could not be defined, marked out, on that solid globe (of Thales), Cic. Rep. 1, 14: locum, in quo dimicaturi essent, Liv. 42, 47, 5: ut si finias equum, genus est animal, species mortale, etc., Quint. 7, 3, 3; cf.: rhetorice finitur varie, id. 2, 15, 1: sit nobis orator is, qui a M. Catone finitur, id. 12, 1, 1; 12, 3, 40.
      Pass. impers.: de pecunia finitur, Ne major causa ludorum consumeretur quam, etc., Liv. 40, 44, 10.
    3. C. To put an end to, to finish, terminate: bellum, Caes. B. C. 3, 51, 3; Curt. 3, 1, 9; Tac. A. 15, 17; Just. 16, 2, 8; Vell. 2, 17, 1: prandia nigris moris, Hor. S. 2, 4, 23: graves labores morte, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 48, 115 (transl. from Eurip. πόνων πεπαυμένον): dolores morte, id. Fin. 1, 15, 49: tristitiam vitaeque labores molli mero, Hor. C. 1, 7, 17: labores, id. ib. 3, 4, 39; id. S. 1, 1, 93: dolores, id. ib. 2, 3, 263: studia, id. Ep. 2, 2, 104: amores, id. C. 1, 19, 4: sitim, id. Ep. 2, 2, 146: honores aequo animo, Vell. 2, 33, 3: vitam mihi ense, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 49: vitam voluntariā morte, inediā, etc., Plin. 6, 19, 22, § 66; 8, 42, 64, § 157; so very rarely of a natural death: Valerianus in illo dedecore vitam finivit, Lact. Mort. Pers. 5, 6; cf. Tac. A. 1, 9; Sen. Ep. 66, 43: praecipitare te et finire, Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 3, 3: (Burrus) impedito meatu spiritum finiebat, Tac. A. 14, 51: animam, Ov. M. 7, 591: (distinctiones) interest sermonem finiant an sensum, Quint. 11, 3, 37; cf.: ut verbum acuto sono finiant, to pronounce with the accent on the last syllable, id. 1, 5, 25.
      Pass., to come to an end, close, be ended, terminate: ut senten tiae verbis finiantur, end, close with verbs, Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 191; cf.: nec solum componentur verba ratione, sed etiam finientur, id. Or. 49, 164: Latinum (verbum), quod o et n litteris finiretur, non reperiebant, Quint. 1, 5, 60; cf. id. 1, 6, 14.
      1. 2. In partic. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose), to come to an end, to cease.
        1. a. To finish speaking, draw to a close, end: finierat Paean, Ov. M. 1, 566; 13, 123; 14, 441; cf.: finiturus eram, sed, etc., id. A. A. 1, 755: ut semel finiam, Quint. 1, 12, 6; 8, 3, 55; cf.: denique, ut semel finiam, id. 9, 4, 138: 5, 13, 3; 11, 3, 59.
        2. b. To come to one’s end, to die: sic fuit utilius finiri ipsi, Cic. poët. Tusc. 1, 48, 115: sic Tiberius finivit octavo et septuagesimo aetatis anno, Tac. A. 6, 50 fin.; for which, in pass.: qui morbo finiuntur, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 2: Seleucus quoque iisdem ferme diebus finitur, Just. 27, 3, 12; cf.: finita Juliorum domo, become extinct, Tac. H. 1, 16.
          Hence, fīnītus, a, um, P. a. In rhetor., of words, that terminate properly, well-rounded, rhythmical: et ipsi infracta et amputata loquuntur et eos vituperant, qui apta et finita pronuntiant, Cic. Or. 51, 170.
          Sup.: finitissimus, Prisc. 1076 P.
          Adv.: fīnītē.
      1. * 1. (Acc. to II. A.) To a certain extent, within limits: avarus erit, sed finite, Cic. Fin. 2, 9, 27.
      2. * 2. (Acc. to II. B.) Definitely, specifically: referri oportere ad senatum aut infinite de re publica, aut de singulis rebus finite, Gell. 14, 7, 9.