▪ I. † reˈfine, a. (and n.) Obs.
[Related to next. Cf. Sp. refino refined, and obs. F. refin fine wool or cloth.]
Refined. Also absol. as n., fine metal.
| a 1635 Corbet Poems (1807) 92 Thine own rich studies, and deep Harriots mine, In which there is no dross, but all refine. 1646 S. Bolton Arraignm. Err. 47 The understanding it is the purest, spirituallest and refinest part. a 1656 Hales Gold. Rem. (1688) 50 The thing which in an especial refine dialect of the new Christian language, signifies nothing but morality and civility. 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 3986/4, 5 Yards and a half of superfine Woman's Black, 12 Yards and a half of refine Black, both Spanish. |
▪ II. refine, v.
(rɪˈfaɪn)
[f. re- + fine v.3; cf. Sp. refinar, and F. raffiner, It. raffinare (see affine v.).]
1. trans. To purify or separate (metals) from dross, alloy, or other extraneous matter; in iron-working, to convert grey pig-iron into white or plate metal by partial decarburization.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 37 Touch stoane brazed with deepe gould purelye refined. 1592 Davies Immort. Soul Introd. xl, So doth the Fire the drossy Gold refine. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. iii. 209 As much quicke-silver as is necessarie to refine their gold and silver. 1674 Ray Coll. Words 117 All lead oar dig'd in England hath a proportion of silver mixt with it, but some so little, that it will not quit cost to refine it. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Refining, There are two ways of refining silver; the one with lead, the other with saltpetre. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 591 Furnaces for running this ore into pigs..and forges to refine pig-iron into bars. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 324 The operation of refining copper is delicate. Ibid. 1124 The teller silver is refined in quantities of 160 or 170 marcs. 1884 W. H. Greenwood Steel & Iron xiii. 246 The loss is greater in refining hot-blast than it is with cold-blast pig-iron. |
b. fig. and in fig. context.
| 1596 Spenser Hymn Beauty 47 It more faire..it makes, And the grosse matter of this earthly myne Which clotheth it thereafter doth refyne. 1720 Welton Suffer. Son of God I. xi. 294 When Thou refinest all the Dross, all that is base and Earthly in me by the Fire of Thy Love. 1754 Cowper Ep. Lloyd 89 Nor needs [he] his genuine ore refine; 'Tis ready polished from the mine. 1827 Keble Chr. Y. 23 Sund. Trin., The world's rude furnace must thy blood refine. 1871 Browning Pr. Hohenst. 1321 The special gold, whate'er the form it take, Head-work or heart-work, fined and thrice-refined I' the crucible of life. |
2. To free from impurities; to purify or cleanse (in general sense).
| 1601 Chester Love's Mart., K. Arthur (1878) 61 Our vnpure Sinne by him being full refind. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. (1868) 40 Because the windes can not refine the aire. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 548 To..raise From the conflagrant mass, purg'd and refin'd, New Heav'ns, new Earth. 1709 Watts Hymn, ‘And must this Body die’ ii, Corruption, Earth and Worms Shall but refine this Flesh. 1781 Cowper Progr. Err. 344 To purge and skim away the filth of vice, That so refined it might the more entice. |
b. spec. To purify or clarify (a substance or product) by means of some special process; to make purer or of a finer quality; esp. to subject (raw sugar) to the processes of clarifying, condensing, and crystallizing.
| 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage v. xii. (1614) 507 The raw Lac is of a darke red colour, but being refined, they make it of all colours. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 371 Selling their Sugars unextracted from the Cane to the Venetians, and buying it againe from them after it is refined. 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. 59 Now the Table was furnished with fat things, and with Wine that was well refined. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 83 Tho' the Extraction be very gross, it's so well refin'd, that it does not, in the least, smell of the Kettle. 1799 G. Smith Laboratory I. 8 The nitre is thoroughly refined. 1836–41 Brande Chem. (ed. 5) 1076 It cannot be doubted that much improvement may be made in refining sugar, by the aid of chemistry, so as to produce a larger quantity of refined from raw sugar. |
| absol. 1883 Century Mag. July 332/2 The United [Company] stores and transports [oil]; the Standard buys, refines, sells, and exports. |
† 3. a. To clear (the spirits, mind, etc.) from dullness; to make clearer or more subtle. Obs.
| 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie i. iii. (Arb.) 23 They came by instinct diuine, and by deepe meditation, and much abstinence (the same assubtiling and refining their spirits) to be made apt to receaue visions. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. i. 5 Thou glorious Guide..Lift up my Soule, my drowsie Spirits refine. 1690 School of Politicks 1 With sober Liquour to refine my Head. a 1704 T. Brown Praise Drunkenness Wks. 1730 I. 35 Wine..refines the judgment of the doctors, and makes their opinions most canonical. 1728 Eliza Heywood tr. Mme. de Gomez's Belle A. (1732) II. 107 A Relaxation of Thought is certainly a help to the refining it. |
† b. To free or cleanse from moral imperfection; to raise to a higher spiritual state. Obs.
| 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 63 Tri'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd By Faith and faithful works. 1672 Dryden 2nd Pt. Conq. Granada iv. iii, Blessed souls are there refined, and..prepared for light. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 257 ¶8 What Actions can express the entire Purity of Thought which refines and sanctifies a virtuous Man? |
4. To free from imperfections or defects; to bring to a more perfect or purer state.
| c 1670 Hobbes Dial. Com. Laws (1840) 5 The law of England..hath been fined and refined by an infinite number of grave and learned men. a 1703 E. Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. iii. iv. (1707) 287 King James the Fifth refined the Order of St. Andrew in Scotland. 1717 J. Keill Anim. Oecon. Pref. 19 The whole Practice of Physick by the Invention of many useful Remedies..is so much refined that [etc.]. 1813 Shelley Q. Mab viii. 139 Lending their power to pleasure and to pain, Yet raising, sharpening, and refining each. 1889 Pager G. de Latour (1896) 7 Cheerful daylight, refined, but hardly dimmed at all, by painted glass. |
b. To polish or improve (a language, composition, etc.); to make more elegant or cultured.
| 1617 Moryson Itin. iv. v. i. (1903) 438 The English tounge..hath beene in late ages excellently refyned and made perfitt for ready and breefe deliuery both in prose and verse. 1634 Malory's Arthur title-p., The Most Ancient and Valiant History of the Renowned Prince Arthur..newly refined. 1674 Playford Skill Mus. i. xi. 56 Of late our Language is much refined, and so is our Musick. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 37 ¶8 They may as well refine the speech as the sentiments of their personages. 1841 Lane Arab. Nts. I. 75 He took the trouble of refining the language of a copy of them which he possessed. |
5. To free from rudeness, coarseness, or vulgarity; to imbue with culture or polish, delicate feelings or instincts, etc.
| 1667 Milton P.L. viii. 589 Love refines The thoughts, and heart enlarges. a 1703 E. Chamberlayne Pres. St. Eng. iii. iii. (1707) 272 The Britains or Welch, more lately refin'd, did not take Surnames till of late Years. 1781 Cowper Charity 98 Ingenious Art..Steps forth to fashion and refine the race. 1781 ― Retirem. 240 Love..Refines his speech, and fashions his address. 1838 Lytton Alice i. iii, He had sought less to curb, than to refine and elevate her imagination. 1848 L. Hunt Jar Honey iii. 32 When reproached for carrying off paintings..from Sicily, he said he did it to refine the minds of his countrymen. |
| absol. 1781 Cowper Charity 332 All truth is precious,..And what dilates the powers must needs refine. |
6. With const. a. To bring into, raise to, a certain state by purifying or subtilizing.
| 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. xxxviii. (1739) 57 Time and experience refined this way of trial into a more excellent condition. 1864 Skeat Uhland's Poems 270 Dante, who could earthly passion To celestial love refine. 1877 E. R. Conder Bas. Faith ii. 68 To refine this discussion into the wire-drawing of verbal controversy. |
b. To purify or cleanse from something.
| 1633 Ford Broken Heart ii. iii, What heaven Refines mortality from dross of earth [etc.]. 1712 Blackmore Creation iii. (ed. 2) 135 By the driving Wind The Air from noxious Vapours is refin'd. 1754 Sherlock Disc. (1759) I. i. 30 Its Worship is refined from the Errors and Idolatries of Superstition. 1810 Scott Lady of L. ii. xxii, A human tear From passion's dross refined and clear. |
c. To clear away, or out of, by refining.
| 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. ix. 588 This was a simple alternative; which might indeed be kept out of sight, but could not be refined away. 1893 W. Forbes-Mitchell Remin. Gt. Mutiny 3 A class of writers..who would if it were possible, refine even God Himself out of creation. |
7. intr. To become pure; to grow clear or free from impurities.
| 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iv. xiv. 250 The Emeralds grow in stones..and they seeme by little and little to thicken and refine. 1690 Norris Beatitudes (1694) I. 54 They presently began to behave themselves more orderly; and seemed, like Gold, to refine upon the Trial of the Furnace. 1713 Addison Cato i. vi, The pure stream..Works it self clear, and as it runs, refines. 1734 Watts Reliq. Juv. xxviii. (1789) 86 Let it lie and refine from all the dregs of sin and sensual impurities. 1809 Byron Bards & Rev. 496 That head,..though the thickening dross will scarce refine, Augments its ore, and is itself a mine. |
8. To improve in polish, elegance, or delicacy.
| c 1620 Fletcher & Massinger False One iii. ii, Did you live at court, as I do, gallants, You would refine, and learn an apter language. 1709 Pope Ess. Crit. 421 Let a Lord once own the happy lines, How the wit brightens! how the style refines! 1762 Goldsm. Cit. W. lxxv, In proportion as society refines, new books must ever become more necessary. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 31 As his years increas'd his taste refin'd. |
9. To employ or affect a subtlety of thought or language.
| 1713 Swift Cadenus & Vanessa, This tempts Free-thinkers to refine, And bring in doubt their pow'rs divine. 1774 Goldsm. Retal. 35 Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 316 Suppose the objector to refine still further, and to draw the nice distinction [etc.]. |
b. Const. on or upon a subject, etc.
| 1669 R. Montagu in Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 449 The politicians here, that refine upon everything. 1837 H. Martineau Soc. Amer. III. 291 The company who sit at the feet of the pastor while he refines upon abstractions. 1883 Contemp. Rev. Aug. 163 To creep out of a difficulty..by refining upon words in defiance of the intention. |
10. To improve on or upon something, by introducing refinements.
| 1662 Evelyn Chalcogr. 50 Canferri, and..Barlacchi graved divers things:..which afterwards Sebastian Serli refining upon composed the better part of that excellent book of his. 1719 Young Revenge i. i, Not only die, But plunge the dagger in my heart myself? This is refining on calamity. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. xviii. 590 Our laws have considerably refined and improved upon the invention. 1815 Jane Austen Emma ix, You must not refine too much upon this charade. |
Hence reˈfinable a., that may be refined.
| 1607 Hieron Wks. I. 238 To purifie that which is refineable as gold and siluer. |