Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To reduce to a pure state; purify.
- intransitive verb To remove by purifying.
- intransitive verb To free from coarse, unsuitable, or immoral characteristics.
- intransitive verb To become free of impurities.
- intransitive verb To acquire polish or elegance.
- intransitive verb To use precise distinctions and subtlety in thought or speech.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To bring or reduce to a pure state; free from impurities; free from sediment; defecate; clarify; fine: as, to
refine liquor, sugar, or petroleum. - In metallurgy, to bring into a condition of purity as complete as the nature of the ore treated will allow.
- To purify from what is gross, coarse, debasing, low, vulgar, inelegant, rude, clownish, and the like; make elegant; raise or educate, as the taste; give culture to; polish: as, to
refine the manners, taste, language, style, intellect, or moral feelings. - To become pure; be cleared of feculent matter.
- To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or in anything that constitutes excellence.
- To exhibit nicety or subtlety in thought or language, especially excessive nicety.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.
- intransitive verb To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
- intransitive verb To affect nicety or subtilty in thought or language.
- transitive verb To reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; to free from impurities; to free from dross or alloy; to separate from extraneous matter; to purify; to defecate
- transitive verb To purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or exellent; to polish.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
reduce to afine ,unmixed , orpure state; to free fromimpurities ; to free fromdross oralloy ; toseparate fromextraneous matter; topurify ; as, to refine gold or silver; to refine iron; to refine wine or sugar. - verb To purify from what is gross, coarse, vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or excellent; to polish; as, to refine the manners, the language, the style, the taste, the intellect, or the moral feelings.
- verb To become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.
- verb To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
- verb To affect
nicety orsubtlety in thought or language.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition
- verb make more complex, intricate, or richer
- verb improve or perfect by pruning or polishing
- verb reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities
- verb make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of
- verb attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or validity by polishing or purifying
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word refine.
Examples
-
I mean look at how they feigned ignorance about Obama's use of the word refine to somehow come out with the meaning that he was switching his position, when even the most cursory understanding of the word means to be more precise.
-
In fact, the dictionary makes this characterization of the word refine:
-
Three days ago I would have been certain that people in the media knew what the word refine means.
Obama Reiterates: Combat Troops Out Of Iraq In 16 Months 2009
-
Apple continues to refine App Store … - … and we use the word refine very loosely.
-
Should Obama have used anything close to "refine" - anything that suggests wavering?
News Orgs Already Getting It Wrong On Obama's Iraq Remarks 2009
-
Ooooo, geo-tagging, a scrumptious calendar (already mocked up, but needs refining), more Ajax (yay!), a personalized saved search page, fun and easy ways to share and add favourites and a really great way to 'drill down' (that's what I call it, but it's more like 'refine' - needs refinement) your results.
Hillary Duff Cant Wait for Riya's Mac Uploader Ben Barren 2005
-
Ooooo, geo-tagging, a scrumptious calendar (already mocked up, but needs refining), more Ajax (yay!), a personalized saved search page, fun and easy ways to share and add favourites and a really great way to 'drill down' (that's what I call it, but it's more like 'refine' - needs refinement) your results.
Archive 2005-12-01 Ben Barren 2005
-
They keep trying to "refine"--and they sound less and less intelligent with every attempt at refinement--their message hoping that it will end all their problems among Arabs/Muslims.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005 As'ad 2005
-
But again, Obama did use that word refine and held a second press conference.
-
But, again, Obama did use that word refine and held this second press conference.
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.