refine

[ ri-fahyn ]

/ rɪˈfaɪn /

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.

Nearby words

Origin of refine

First recorded in 1575–85; re- + fine¹

Related forms

re·fin·a·ble, adjectivere·fin·er, nounpre·re·fine, verb (used with object), pre·re·fined, pre·re·fin·ing.self-re·fin·ing, adjective

su·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

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
Other technologies are refining the concept of a “fit” between school and student.
How to Reinvent College|Nick Romeo|May 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

“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|DAILY BEAST
Such wax undergoes the operation of colouring as well as refining.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
This again was unlike the Ethel he knew, but sorrow has a refining effect on all characters.
More William|Richmal Crompton
Music is one of the most refining factors among young men and women.
Sixty Years of California Song|Margaret Blake-Alverson
All poetry and most literature is given up to this sentimentalizing or refining process.
Modern Women and What is Said of Them|Anonymous
It was clear that this building had something to do with the ore, perhaps a refining plant, Durkin suggested.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, June, 1930|Various

British Dictionary definitions for refining

refine

/ (rɪˈfaɪn) /

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.

Medicine definitions for refining

refine

[ rĭ-fīn′ ]

v.

To reduce to a pure state; purify.

refine

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

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

Verb Phrases

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Nearby words

Origin of refine

Examples from the Web for refining

refine

verb

Word Origin for refine

refine

refine

v.