refine

[ri-fahyn]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR refine ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), re·fined, re·fin·ing.

to bring to a fine or a pure state; free from impurities: to refine metal, sugar, or petroleum.

to purify from what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured.

to bring to a finer state or form by purifying.

to make more fine, subtle, or precise: to refine one's writing style.

verb (used without object), re·fined, re·fin·ing.

to become pure: The silver is refining in the furnace.

to become more fine, elegant, or polished: His parents hope that his manners will refine as he gets older.

to make fine distinctions in thought or language.

Verb Phrases

refine on/upon, to improve by inserting finer distinctions, superior elements, etc.: to refine on one's previous work.

Origin of refine

First recorded in 1575–85; re- + fine¹

Related formsre·fin·a·ble, adjectivere·fin·er, nounpre·re·fine, verb (used with object), pre·re·fined, pre·re·fin·ing.self-re·fin·ing, adjectivesu·per·re·fine, verb (used with object), su·per·re·fined, su·per·re·fin·ing.un·re·fin·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for refining

civilizing, distillation, improving, cleaning, clarifying, honing, elevating, focusing

Examples from the Web for refining

Contemporary Examples of refining

Twin studies using EEG were subsequently performed more than a dozen times, refining protocols and controlling for design flaws.
Knocking on Heaven's Door: True Stories of Unexplained, Uncanny Experiences at the Hour of Death
Patricia Pearson
August 11, 2014
But the New Year is also about planning ahead, refining a longer-term vision of balance and sustainability.
What to Drink in 2014: 13 Chefs and Critics Picks
Jordan Salcito
January 11, 2014
Other technologies are refining the concept of a “fit” between school and student.
How to Reinvent College
Nick Romeo
May 13, 2013
Refining the way in which the screening is administered would be preferable to discarding it altogether, Knoepfler believes.
Are PSA Screenings for Prostate Cancer Bad for Your Health?
Casey Schwartz
May 22, 2012
“We share this focus on refining, taking away complexity, removing anything unnecessary, doing fewer things but better,” he says.
Nokia Lumia 900 Boasts Sleeker, More Modern Design Than Apple iPhone
Dan Lyons
January 10, 2012

Historical Examples of refining

Refining the courtship, raillery, and conversation of plays!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 57, No. 352, February 1845
Various
Paris did not fail to exercise its refining influence on Erasmus.
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation
Johan Huizinga
It was not faith, however, that had come to him, only a refining and quickening of his imagination.
The Mermaid
Lily Dougall
In refining the loss is enormous, often as much as forty per cent.
Checking the Waste
Mary Huston Gregory
The loss of gold in mining and refining is comparatively small.
Checking the Waste
Mary Huston Gregory

British Dictionary definitions for refining

refine

verb

to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify

(tr) to separate (a mixture) into pure constituents, as in an oil refinery

to make or become free from coarse characteristics; make or become elegant or polished

(tr often foll by out) to remove (something impure or extraneous)

(intr ; often foll by on or upon) to enlarge or improve (upon) by making subtle or fine distinctions

(tr) to make (language) more subtle or polished

Derived Formsrefinable, adjective

Word Origin for refine

C16: from re- + fine 1

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

Word Origin and History for refining

refine

1580s, of metals, c.1590 of manners, from re-, intensive prefix, + obsolete fine (v.) "make fine," from fine (adj.) "delicate." Cf. French raffiner, Italian raffinare, Spanish refinar. General and figurative sense is recorded from 1590s; of sugar, from 1610s. Related: Refined; refining.

refining in Medicine

refine

[rĭ-fīn′]

v.

To reduce to a pure state; purify.