Fincher

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An American filmmaker celebrated for dark, meticulously crafted thrillers such as Se7en and Gone Girl
2. The surname of an American director known for stylish, tense films like Fight Club and The Social Network
3. A film director, David Fincher, noted for psychological thrillers and precise visual style in works such as Zodiac

Etymology: In English, "fincher" is chiefly a surname, and it is most widely known today through the film director David Fincher. Its likely source is the bird name "finch," from Old English "finc," with the "-er" ending that often marks a person connected with something. Surnames of this kind commonly arose as nicknames or occupational labels, so a medieval bearer may have been named for a bird-like trait, a link to finches, or some related job, but the exact origin of this particular family name is uncertain. Its documented use as a surname is older than the director's fame, so the name's history predates the modern association with film.