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.
Re*fined" (-f?nd"), 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 (r&?;*f&?;n"&?;d*l&?;), adv. -- Re*fin"ed*ness, n.
Re*fine"ment (r?*f?n"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.
Re*fin"er (-f?n"?r), n. One who, or that which, refines.
Re*fin"er*y (-?), n.; pl. Refineries (-&?;z). [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.
Re*fit" (r?*f?t"), 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.