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- Dictionaryre·fine/rəˈfīn/
verb
- 1. remove impurities or unwanted elements from (a substance), typically as part of an industrial process: "sugar was refined by boiling it in huge iron vats" Similar Opposite
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1. : to free (something, such as metal, sugar, or oil) from impurities or unwanted material. 2. : to free from moral imperfection : elevate. 3. : to improve or perfect by pruning or polishing. refine a poetic style. 4. : to reduce in vigor or intensity.
to improve something or to make it pure, especially by removing material that is not wanted: Crude oil is industrially refined to purify it. to improve an idea, a method, a system, etc. by making small changes: Engineers spent many months refining the software.
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.
to improve something or to make it pure, especially by removing material that is not wanted: Crude oil is industrially refined to purify it. to improve an idea, a method, a system, etc. by making small changes: Engineers spent many months refining the software.
When you refine something, you make it better. Whether it's sugar or an essay, refining it requires fixing its flaws. You may think you created a masterpiece on the first try.
Definition of refine verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
1. to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify. 2. (Chemistry) ( tr) to separate (a mixture) into pure constituents, as in an oil refinery. 3. to make or become free from coarse characteristics; make or become elegant or polished. 4. (often foll by: out) to remove (something impure or extraneous)
To reduce to a pure state; purify. American Heritage. To make fine or pure; free from impurities, dross, alloy, sediment, etc.; purify; clarify. Webster's New World. Similar definitions.
REFINE definition: 1. to make a substance pure by removing other substances from it 2. to improve an idea, method…. Learn more.
6 meanings: 1. to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify 2. to separate (a mixture).... Click for more definitions.
