refine

refine (rɪˈfaɪn)

—vb (often foll by out)
1.	to make or become free from impurities, sediment, or other foreign matter; purify
2.	(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.	to remove (something impure or extraneous)
5.	(intr; often foll by on or upon) to enlarge or improve (upon) by making subtle or fine distinctions
6.	(tr) to make (language) more subtle or polished

[C16: from re- + fine¹]

re'finable

—*adj*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

refine

1582, of metals, 1588 of manners, from re-, intensive prefix + obs. fine (v.) "make fine," from fine (adj.) "delicate" (q.v.). Cf. Fr. raffiner, It. raffinare, Sp. refinar. General and fig. sense is recorded from 1596; of sugar, from 1613. Refinery in various senses is first

recorded 1727. Refinement "act or process of refining" is from 1611; meaning "fineness of feeling" is from 1708.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

refine re·fine (rĭ-fīn')
v. re·fined, re·fin·ing, re·fines
To reduce to a pure state; purify.

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

REFINE definition

1. "Research on Knowledge-Based Software Environments at Kestrel Institute", D.R. Smith et al, IEEE Trans Soft Eng, SE-11(11) (1985). E-mail: .
2. Cordell Green et al, Stanford U. Uses logic to specify and evolve programs. [same as 1?] Reasoning Systems, Inc. E-mail: .

Example sentences

But this itself is an important finding--hopefully one that will help other

scientists to refine their own models in the future.

Then you can use the tag links to quickly and easily filter and refine your

searches.

At a minimum, they could develop customer databases that they could use to

refine their marketing campaigns.

And input from the human planet hunters is used to refine the algorithms,

improving their performance.

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Matching Quote

"The preacher then went on to criticise the attitude of religion towards science. "If there is still a feeling of hostility between them ... it is no longer the fault of religion. There have been times when the church seemed afraid, but she is so no longer. Analyze, dissect, use your microscope or your spectrum till the last atom of matter is reached; reflect and refine till the last element of thought is made clear; the church now knows with the certainty of science what she once knew only by the certainty of faith, that you will find enthroned behind all thought and matter only one central idea,—that idea which the church has never ceased to embody,—I AM!""

-Henry Brooks Adams