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refinementmore about refinement

refinement

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Refinement  \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. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  refinement 
  n  1:  a  highly  developed  state;  "they  performed  with  great  polish" 
  [syn:  {polish}] 
  2:  the  result  of  improving  something  "he  described  a 
  refinement  of  this  technique"  [syn:  {elaboration}] 
  3:  the  process  of  removing  impurities  from  oil  or  metals  or 
  sugar  [syn:  {refining}] 
  4:  a  subtle  difference  in  meaning  [syn:  {nuance},  {nicety},  {shade}, 
  {subtlety}] 
  5:  elegance  by  virtue  of  fineness  of  manner  and  expression 
  [syn:  {breeding},  {genteelness},  {gentility}]




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