Link Centre Dictionary

refine

re·fine

UK/ɹɪˈfaɪn/ US/rɪˈfaɪn/ uncommon

verb

1.

improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

  • “refine one”
Synonyms
2.

make more complex, intricate, or richer

  • “refine a design or pattern”
Synonyms
3.

treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition

  • “refine paper stock”
  • “refine pig iron”
  • “refine oil”
4.

reduce to a fine, unmixed, or pure state; separate from extraneous matter or cleanse from impurities

  • “refine sugar”
Synonyms
5.

attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or validity by polishing or purifying

  • “many valuable nutrients are refined out of the foods in our modern diet”
6.

make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of

  • “refine a method of analysis”
  • “refine the constant in the equation”

Origin

From re- + fine.

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.