refine
verb /rɪˈfaɪn/
/rɪˈfaɪn/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they refine | /rɪˈfaɪn/ /rɪˈfaɪn/ |
| he / she / it refines | /rɪˈfaɪnz/ /rɪˈfaɪnz/ |
| past simple refined | /rɪˈfaɪnd/ /rɪˈfaɪnd/ |
| past participle refined | /rɪˈfaɪnd/ /rɪˈfaɪnd/ |
| -ing form refining | /rɪˈfaɪnɪŋ/ /rɪˈfaɪnɪŋ/ |
- refine something to make a substance pure by taking other substances out of it
- The process of refining oil produces several useful chemicals.
Extra ExamplesTopics The environmentc1- supplies of the highly refined white sugar
- China has eight factories that refine the ore.
- In those days sugar was refined by boiling it in huge black iron vats.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- slightly
- greatly
- further
- …
- attempt to
- try to
- continue to
- …
- into
- highly refined
- refine something to improve something by making small changes to it
- She has refined her playing technique over the years.
- This theory still needs a little refining.
Extra Examples- They would constantly refine their designs until they were almost perfect.
- The theory was further refined by modern scientists.
- Our methods have been gradually refined over the years.
- The information system is constantly refined and updated.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- slightly
- greatly
- further
- …
- attempt to
- try to
- continue to
- …
- into
- highly refined
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from re- ‘again’ + the verb fine ‘make or become thinner’, influenced by French raffiner.