v.
Pronunciation: ri- ' f ī n
Function: verb
Inflected Form: re · fined ; re · fin · ing
Date: 1582
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