REFINE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does refine mean? 

• REFINE (verb)
  The verb REFINE has 6 senses:

1. improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

2. make more complex, intricate, or richer

3. treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition

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

5. attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or intensity by polishing or purifying

6. make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of

  Familiarity information: REFINE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REFINE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they refine    ... he / she / it refines   
Past simple: refined   
Past participle: refined   
-ing form: refining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Improve or perfect by pruning or polishing

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

down; fine-tune; polish; refine

Context example:

refine one's style of writing

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

ameliorate; amend; better; improve; meliorate (to make better)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refine"):

over-refine; overrefine (refine too much or with excess of subtlety)

civilise; civilize; cultivate; educate; school; train (teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

refinement (the result of improving something)

refinement (a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality)

refiner (one whose work is to refine a specific thing)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make more complex, intricate, or richer

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

complicate; elaborate; rarify; refine

Context example:

refine a design or pattern

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "refine"):

involve (make complex or intricate or complicated)

develop (elaborate by the unfolding of a musical idea and by the working out of the rhythmic and harmonic changes in the theme)

sophisticate (make more complex or refined)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Treat or prepare so as to put in a usable condition

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

refine oil

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

process; treat (subject to a process or treatment, with the aim of readying for some purpose, improving, or remedying a condition)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

refinement (the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.))

refiner (one whose work is to refine a specific thing)

refinery (an industrial plant for purifying a crude substance)

Sense 4

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

rectify; refine

Context example:

refine sugar

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

distill; make pure; purify; sublimate (remove impurities from, increase the concentration of, and separate through the process of distillation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

refinement (the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.))

refiner (one whose work is to refine a specific thing)

refining (the process of removing impurities (as from oil or metals or sugar etc.))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Attenuate or reduce in vigor, strength, or intensity by polishing or purifying

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

many valuable nutrients are refined out of the foods in our modern diet

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

attenuate (become weaker, in strength, value, or magnitude)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Make more precise or increase the discriminatory powers of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

refine the constant in the equation

Hypernyms (to "refine" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

refinement (a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude)

 Context examples 

Using recently refined analysis methods for the 2007 data, the researchers found an increase in water vapor by more than a hundred-fold in the middle atmosphere during that global storm.

(Dust Storms Linked to Gas Escape from Mars Atmosphere, NASA)

The agency will choose between these two concepts in late 2014 and further refine the mission's design.

(NASA announces latest progress in hunt for asteroids, NASA)

How could she, living the refined life she did?

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Magnesium status is low in populations who consume processed foods that are high in refined grains, fat, phosphate, and sugar.

(Low Magnesium Levels Make Vitamin D Ineffective, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Previous studies have linked diets high in refined grains — such as white rice — to obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

(Pregnancy diet high in refined grains could increase child obesity risk by age 7, NIH)

She will grow just refined enough to be uncomfortable with those among whom birth and circumstances have placed her home.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

They then followed this up with computer chemical modelling and laboratory experiments to refine our understanding of the molecule’s origin.

(ALMA Finds Ingredient of Life Around Infant Sun-like Stars, ESO)

I had ample leisure to refine upon my uneasiness: for Steerforth was at Oxford, as he wrote to me, and when I was not at the Commons, I was very much alone.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Now, with Jupiter in this house, you can refine your routine to become more efficient and productive.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Refined corn oil is about 59% polyunsaturated fatty acid, 24% monounsaturated fatty acid, and 13% saturated fatty acid.

(Corn Oil, NCI Thesaurus)