Refine

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈfaɪn/

Definitions

1. To improve something by making small changes that remove impurities or enhance quality and precision
2. To enhance the quality of a material by eliminating impurities and optimizing composition while also improving skills or ideas through subtle modifications
3. To make something better by carefully removing unwanted elements and making slight improvements

Etymology: "Refine" began as a metalworking term. Its Latin ancestor "re-" meant "back" or "again", and the Old French "raffiner" built on the adjective "fin", meaning "fine" in the sense of pure or purified. To refine was to make metal or another substance fine, that is, to purge it of impurities by heating, so the word first described turning ore into something clean and valuable. The Old French verb carried the sense into English during the Middle Ages, where it was used for purifying metals and then extended to people and manners, so that someone could be refined in speech or conduct. The meaning of making something better through careful, precise work grew out of that original image of driving out dross.

Synonyms: purify, improve, enhance, perfect, process

Antonyms: contaminate, dirty, spoil, ruin, degrade