The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Finish \Fin"ish\, v. i.
   1. To come to an end; to terminate.
      [1913 Webster]

            His days may finish ere that hapless time. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To end; to die. [R.] --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Finish \Fin"ish\, n.
   1. That which finishes, puts an end to? or perfects.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
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   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.
          [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. Completion; -- opposed to start, or beginning.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

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.
      [1913 Webster]

            And heroically hath finished
            A life heroic.                        --Milton.
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   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.
        [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

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, finish, finishing]
    2: 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, finish,
       last, conclusion, close]
    3: 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]
    4: 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" [syn: finish,
       destination, goal]
    5: 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"
    6: 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"
    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, finish] [ant: beginning]
    8: (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"
    9: the act of finishing; "his best finish in a major tournament
       was third"; "the speaker's finishing was greeted with
       applause" [syn: finish, finishing] [ant: beginning,
       commencement, start]
    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,
         finish]
    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, finish]
    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, finish,
       terminate, cease] [ant: begin, start]
    4: provide with a finish; "The carpenter finished the table
       beautifully"; "this shirt is not finished properly"
    5: finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table;
       "She polished off the remaining potatoes" [syn: eat up,
       finish, polish off]
    6: cause to finish a relationship with somebody; "That finished
       me with Mary"