1575 G. Gascoigne Certayne Notes Instr. in Posies sig. T.ij For many inuentions are so superfine, that they are Vix good.

1695 J. Locke Reasonableness Christianity (1696) 305 The bulk of Mankind have not leisure for Learning and Logick, and superfine distinctions of the Schools.

1737 Brit. Librarian May 310 It is inferr'd that our Language is discredited, by borrowing so much, even to the making our selves unintelligible in our own Country, as that super-fine Orator did who declared, [etc.].

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. II. i. iii. 33 Madame,..trains up a youthful d'Orleans generation in what superfinest morality one can.

1872 Index 24 Feb. 60/3 We yield the credit of such superfine perception to Unitarianism.

1949 Lawrence (Kansas) Daily Jrnl.-World 29 Nov. 2/4 One young man of superfine tastes averred that she was the most satisfying accompanist he had heard in many a day.

1991 Houston Chron. (Nexis) 7 Oct. a7 The question..got caught up in a tragicomic tangle of superfine distinctions.

1576 T. Newton tr. L. Lemnie Touchstone of Complexions i. vii. f. 39^v Beng not artyficially procured nor by toto superfine curiosity frisled.

1622 T. Venner Via Recta (ed. 2) 170 Them that out of a superfine daintinesse cannot liue but by sweete meates.

1786 F. Burney Court Jrnls. & Lett. (2011) I. 96 We..met..such super fine men in Laced Liveries, that we attempted not to question them.

1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. I. 241 A pair of superfine ladies' footmen.

1830 M. R. Mitford Our Village IV. 264 The care of his granddaughter left entirely to a vulgar old nurse and a super~fine housekeeper.

1915 J. H. A. Macdonald Life Jottings v. 57 One day a superfine gentleman spoke to the hawker.

1613 R. Anton Moriomachia sig. B4^v He was a full halfe yard broad betwixt the eyes, and almost eighteene ynches by the rule (wanting but the breadth of a super-fine wyer) from the crowne to the heele.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso ii. lxxi. 348 Princes were now no longer able..to throw dust in their Subjects Eyes, though it were most artificial and superfine.

1676 T. Cock Kitchin-physick iii. 69 'Tis made thus: Take half a peck of Oatmeal, take from it the superfine flowre, put it to soke three or four days in a stand.

1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) Superfine, very fine or thin; as Superfine Wire, Thread, Cards, &c.

1797 Monthly Mag. Dec. 477/1 This will make a difference of one-third of an inch, or the breadth of seventeen teeth, in a superfine comb.

1811 Baltimore Med. & Philos. Lycæum July 244 The superfine powder thus separated is observed to be of a much higher colour than the residue.

1872 R. Moore Artizans' Guide 203 It is best to first draw-file it with a medium fine file, and finish with a superfine file.

1922 C. J. Ritchey Quests for Salvation iii. 66 Epicureanism taught that the gods, made of superfine atoms, lived somewhere between the various worlds in a state of blessed immortality.

2005 C. Mendelson Laundry iii. xxii. 367 Microdenier, or microfiber, fabrics are woven from superfine fibers.

1680 Don Tomazo 84 A Composition to their Hearts desire, consisting of one Third Copper, artificially tinctur'd with Yellow, one half Third Gold, and half Third Emery, and one Third super-fine Silver.

1682 in W. R. Scott Rec. Sc. Cloth Manufactory New Mills (1905) 40 John Rae is ordered when he gives out wool..to sett down a letter for a distinction that is C for course M for midleing F for fine and S.F. for super fine.

1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry (1721) II. 332 Till you observe your Cyder to be very transparent, which then may be called Superfine.

1759 Newport (Rhode Island) Mercury 14 Aug. 4/2 To be sold cheap,..superfine Demy, superfine medium, superfine Post,..and several Sorts of Common Paper.

1774 Chesterfield's Lett. (1792) I. 238 The very best wool, which we make use of here in manufacturing our superfine cloths.

1819 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto I cxcviii. 102 The wax was superfine, its hue vermillion.

1847 C. Morfit tr. É. F. Celnart Perfumery xx. 104 To a pound of superfine olive oil, add eight whole cloves and ½ oz. of cinnamon.

1872 L. P. Meredith Teeth (1878) 12 The bread, pastry, cake, etc., so much in use and made of superfine flour.

1922 S. Sassoon Diary 18 Apr. (1981) I. 144 I sat there puffing carefully at a superfine cigar.

1940 N. Tranter Harsh Heritage 60 While admittedly this is a dear whisky, I think that with suitable advertising, the superfine quality will ensure it a warm reception.

2007 H. K. Forsyth Constant Gardener vii. 459/1 Those bloodlines now extend through many of the great studs producing superfine merino wool.

1850 E. FitzGerald Let. 9 Mar. (1889) I. 201 I have read but very little of late; indeed my eyes have not been in superfine order.

1885 J. Ruskin Præterita I. ii. 47 In the fixed purpose of making an ecclesiastical gentleman of me, with the superfinest of manners.

1911 Plumbers, Gas & Steam Fitters' Jrnl. Mar. 28/2 The music was superfine.

2003 ‘S. Pax’ Weblog Diary 11 Feb. in Baghdad Blog 93 The local servers ping, but no pages load, then suddenly for ten minutes all is superfine.

1721 Inventory W. Hamond 12 in Particulars Estates South-sea Company I. Woollen Manufacture..40 Superfines 1☩E at 17 l. 10 s.

1785 Strother's Jrnl. (1912) (modernized text) ii. 94 These superfines..are no better in quality than those plains.

1812 J. Bigland Beauties Eng. & Wales XVI. 787 The chief manufacture..is cloth, which was formerly almost wholly of the coarser kinds; but the manufacture of superfines has of late..increased.

1880 J. Dunbar Pract. Papermaker 20 Superfines, ¹/ ₄; Spanish Esparto, Fine, ¹/ ₄.

1907 C. Beadle Chapters on Papermaking III. i. 8 The stuff is more mellow and clean when using brass bars, and more suitable for superfines and photo papers.

1999 J. Smail Merchants, Markets & Manuf. vi. 103 The cost of making copies of the West Country superfines which Peter obtained in London.

1759 New Universal Hist. Arts & Sci. II. 266/2 Boil a pound of superfine sugar in four ounces of rose-water to the consistence of tablettes.

1823 J. Guy Guy's Tutor's Assistant 43 3 lbs. of superfine sugar.

1998 C. Lemos Everybody's San Francisco Cookbook 79 In a bowl, stir together the superfine sugar, rum, liqueur, and lemon zest.

1689 F. Turner in Brit. Critic July (1838) 172 I apprehend that parson of Lambeth has superfined upon our brother of B. and W.

a1690 R. Barclay Truth Triumphant (1692) Pref. p. xiii It [sc. religion] has been branched and broken into so many Parts and Points; and more, that some Men have so boldly and critically Super-fined upon them.

1693 W. Penn Some Fruits of Solitude §188. 60 He that superfines upon other Men's Actions, cozens himself, as well as injures them.