raffinate

American

[raf-uh-nayt] / ˈræf əˌneɪt /

noun

Chemistry.

the part of a liquid, especially an oil, remaining after its more soluble components have been extracted by a solvent.

raffinate British

/ ˈræfɪˌneɪt /

noun

the liquid left after a solute has been extracted by solvent extraction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

raffinate Scientific

/ răf′ə-nāt′ /

The portion of an original liquid that remains after other components have been dissolved by a solvent. The term is often used to refer to the oil that is not dissolved in petroleum refining operations.

Etymology

Origin of raffinate

1925–30; < French raffin ( er ) to refine ( r ( e ) - re- + affiner to refine; see affine) + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

raffinate

In addition to butadiene, the plant also produces raffinate, a refining byproduct used to make other chemicals.

From New York Times ● Nov. 27, 2019

"The question is whether raffinate is toxic," says Board Spokesman Brian Vance.

From Time Magazine Archive

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023