Dictionary
refine
verb re·fine \ri-ˈfīn\
: to remove the unwanted substances in (something)
: to improve (something) by making small changes
re·finedre·fin·ing
Full Definition of REFINE
transitive verb
1
: to free (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
5
: to free from what is coarse, vulgar, or uncouth
intransitive verb
1
: to become pure or perfected
2
: to make improvement by introducing subtleties or distinctions
— re·fin·er noun
See refine defined for English-language learners
See refine defined for kids
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First Known Use of REFINE
1582
Related to REFINE
Rhymes with REFINE
A-line, affine, airline, align, alkyne, alpine, assign, at sign, balkline, baseline, beeline, benign, bloodline, blue line, blush wine, bovine, bowline, branchline, breadline, bright-line, buntline, bustline, byline, call sign, canine, caprine, carbine, carmine, cervine, chow line, clothesline, cloud nine, coastline, combine, compline, condign, confine, consign, corvine, cosign, cutline, dateline, deadline, decline, define, design, divine, dragline, driveline, earthshine, Einstein, eiswein, end line, enshrine, entwine, equine, ethyne, fall line, fault line, feline, ferine, first-line, flatline, flight line, foul line, fräulein, frontline, front line, goal line, gold mine, grapevine, guideline, hairline, hard-line, hard pine, headline, hemline, high sign, hipline, Holbein, hotline, ice wine, incline, indign, in fine, in-line, Irvine, jawline, jug wine, landline, land mine, lang syne, lifeline, load line, longline, lupine, mainline, main line, malign, midline, moline, moonshine, neckline, off-line, old-line, online, opine, outline, outshine, ovine, Pauline, peace sign, Petrine, pipeline, piscine, pitch pine, plotline, plumb line, plus sign, pontine, porcine, potline, pound sign, propine, punch line, rapine, recline, redline, red pine, reline, repine, resign, Rhine wine, ridgeline, roofline, Sabine, saline, Scotch pine, scrub pine, setline, shoreline, short line, sideline, sight line, skyline, snow line, soft-line, spring line, straight-line, strandline, straw wine, streamline, strip mine, strychnine, subline, sunshine, supine, syncline, taurine, tie-line, times sign, topline, touchline, towline, tramline, trapline, tree line, trephine, trotline, truckline, trunk line, tumpline, turbine, untwine, ursine, vespine, V sign, vulpine, waistline, white line, white pine, white wine, woodbine, yard line, zebrine, Z line
REFINE Defined for Kids
refine
verb re·fine \ri-ˈfīn\
re·finedre·fin·ing
Definition of REFINE for Kids
1
: to bring to a pure state <refine sugar>
2
: to make better : improve <He's refining his recipe.>
Medical Dictionary
refine
transitive verb re·fine \ri-ˈfīn\
re·finedre·fin·ing
Medical Definition of REFINE
: to free (as sugar or oil) from impurities or unwanted material
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