2. To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or excellence.
Chaucer refined on Boccace, and mended his stories.
Dryden.
But let a lord once own the happy lines,
How the wit brightens! How the style refines!
Pope. 3. To affect nicety or subtilty in thought or language. "He makes another paragraph about our refining
in controversy." Atterbury.
Refined
(Re*fined") a. Freed from impurities or alloy; purifed; polished; cultured; delicate; as; refined gold;
refined language; refined sentiments.
Refined wits who honored poesy with their pens.
Peacham. — Re*fin"ed*ly adv. — Re*fin"ed*ness, n.
Refinement
(Re*fine"ment) n. [Cf. F. raffinement.]
1. The act of refining, or the state of being refined; as, the refinement or metals; refinement of ideas.
The more bodies are of kin to spirit in subtilty and refinement, the more diffusive are they.
Norris.
From the civil war to this time, I doubt whether the corruptions in our language have not equaled its
refinements.
Swift. 2. That which is refined, elaborated, or polished to excess; an affected subtilty; as, refinements of logic.
"The refinements of irregular cunning." Rogers.
Syn. — Purification; polish; politeness; gentility; elegance; cultivation; civilization.
Refiner
(Re*fin"er) n. One who, or that which, refines.
Refinery
(Re*fin"er*y) n.; pl. Refineries [Cf. F. raffinerie.]
1. The building and apparatus for refining or purifying, esp. metals and sugar.
2. A furnace in which cast iron is refined by the action of a blast on the molten metal.
Refit
(Re*fit") v. t.
1. To fit or prepare for use again; to repair; to restore after damage or decay; as, to refit a garment; to
refit ships of war. Macaulay.
2. To fit out or supply a second time.
Refit
(Re*fit"), v. i. To obtain repairs or supplies; as, the fleet returned to refit.
Refitment
(Re*fit"ment) n. The act of refitting, or the state of being refitted.
Refix
(Re*fix") v. t. To fix again or anew; to establish anew. Fuller.
Reflame
(Re*flame") v. i. To kindle again into flame.
Reflect
(Re*flect") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reflected; p. pr. & vb. n. Reflecting.] [L. reflectere, reflexum; pref.
re- re- + flectere to bend or turn. See Flexible, and cf. Reflex, v.]
