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1828.mshaffer.com › Word [refine]
REFI'NE, v.t. 1. To purify; in a general sense; applied to liquors, to depurate; to defecate; to clarify; to separate, as liquor, from all extraneous matter. In this sense, the verb is used with propriety, but it is customary to use fine.2. Applied to metals, to separate the metallic substance from all other matter, whether another metal or alloy, or any earthy substance; in short, to detach the pure metal from all extraneous matter.I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined. Zech. 13.3. To purify, as manners, from what is gross, clownish or vulgar; to polish; to make elegant. We expect to see refined manners in courts.4. To purify, as language, by removing vulgar words and barbarisms.5. To purify, as taste; to give a nice and delicate perception of beauty and propriety in literature and the arts.6. To purify, as the mind or moral principles; to give or implant in the mind a nice perception of truth, justice and propriety in commerce and social intercourse. This nice perception of what is right constitutes rectitude of principle, or moral refinement of mind; and a correspondent practice of social duties, constitutes rectitude of conduct or purity of morals. Hence we speak of a refined mind, refined morals, refined principles.To refine the heart or soul, to cleanse it from all carnal or evil affections and desires and implant in it holy or heavenly affections.REFI'NE, v.i. 1. To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or in any thing that constitutes excellence.Chaucer refined on Boccace and mended his stories.Let a lord but own the happy lines, how the wit brightens, how the sense refines!2. to become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.So the pure limpid stream, when foul with stains, works itself clear, and as it runs, refines.3. To affect nicety. Men sometimes refine in speculation beyond the limits of practical truth.He makes another paragraph about our refining in controversy.
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Evolution (or devolution) of this word [refine]
1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
REFI'NE, v.t. 1. To purify; in a general sense; applied to liquors, to depurate; to defecate; to clarify; to separate, as liquor, from all extraneous matter. In this sense, the verb is used with propriety, but it is customary to use fine.2. Applied to metals, to separate the metallic substance from all other matter, whether another metal or alloy, or any earthy substance; in short, to detach the pure metal from all extraneous matter.I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined. Zech. 13.3. To purify, as manners, from what is gross, clownish or vulgar; to polish; to make elegant. We expect to see refined manners in courts.4. To purify, as language, by removing vulgar words and barbarisms.5. To purify, as taste; to give a nice and delicate perception of beauty and propriety in literature and the arts.6. To purify, as the mind or moral principles; to give or implant in the mind a nice perception of truth, justice and propriety in commerce and social intercourse. This nice perception of what is right constitutes rectitude of principle, or moral refinement of mind; and a correspondent practice of social duties, constitutes rectitude of conduct or purity of morals. Hence we speak of a refined mind, refined morals, refined principles.To refine the heart or soul, to cleanse it from all carnal or evil affections and desires and implant in it holy or heavenly affections.REFI'NE, v.i. 1. To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or in any thing that constitutes excellence.Chaucer refined on Boccace and mended his stories.Let a lord but own the happy lines, how the wit brightens, how the sense refines!2. to become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.So the pure limpid stream, when foul with stains, works itself clear, and as it runs, refines.3. To affect nicety. Men sometimes refine in speculation beyond the limits of practical truth.He makes another paragraph about our refining in controversy. | RE-FINE, v.i.- To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or in any thing that constitutes excellence.
Chaucer refined on Boccace and mended his stories. – Dryden.
Let a lord but own the happy lines, / How the wit brightens, how the sense refines! – Pope.
- To become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.
So the pure limpid stream, when fool with stains, / Works itself clear, and as it runs, refines. – Addison.
- To affect nicety. Men sometimes refine in speculation beyond the limits of practical truth.
He makes another paragraph about our refining in controversy. – Atterbury.
RE-FINE, v.t. [Fr. raffiner; It. raffinare; Sp. and Port. refinar; re and fine.]- To purify; in a general sense; applied to liquors, to depurate; to defecate; to clarify; to separate, as liquor, from all extraneous matter. In this sense, the verb is used with propriety, but it is customary to use fine.
- Applied to metals, to separate the metallic substance from all other matter, whether another metal or alloy, or any earthy substance; in short, to detach the pure metal from all extraneous matter.
I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined. – Zech. xiii.
- To purify, as manners, from what is gross, clownish or vulgar; to polish; to make elegant. We expect to see refined manners in courts.
- To purify, as language, by removing vulgar words and barbarisms.
- To purify, as taste; to give a nice and delicate perception of beauty and propriety in literature and the arts.
- To purify, as the mind or moral principles; to give or implant in the mind a nice perception of truth, justice and propriety in commerce and social intercourse. This nice perception of what is right constitutes rectitude of principle, or moral refinement of mind; and a correspondent practice of social duties, constitutes rectitude of conduct or purity of morals. Hence we speak of a refined mind, refined morals, refined principles.
To refine the heart or soul, to cleanse it from all carnal or evil affections and desires, and implant in it holy or heavenly affections.
| Re*fine"
- To reduce to a
fine, unmixed, or pure state] to free from impurities; to free from
dross or alloy; to separate from extraneous matter; to purify; to
defecate; as, to refine gold or silver; to refine iron;
to refine wine or sugar.
- To become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter.
- To purify from what is gross, coarse,
vulgar, inelegant, low, and the like; to make elegant or exellent; to
polish; as, to refine the manners, the language, the style, the
taste, the intellect, or the moral feelings.
- To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or
excellence.
- To affect nicety or subtilty in thought or
language.
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1828 Webster | 1844 Webster | 1913 Webster |
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Refine REFI'NE, verb transitive 1. To purify; in a general sense; applied to liquors, to depurate; to defecate; to clarify; to separate, as liquor, from all extraneous matter. In this sense, the verb is used with propriety, but it is customary to use fine. 2. Applied to metals, to separate the metallic substance from all other matter, whether another metal or alloy, or any earthy substance; in short, to detach the pure metal from all extraneous matter. I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined. Zechariah 13:9. 3. To purify, as manners, from what is gross, clownish or vulgar; to polish; to make elegant. We expect to see refined manners in courts. 4. To purify, as language, by removing vulgar words and barbarisms. 5. To purify, as taste; to give a nice and delicate perception of beauty and propriety in literature and the arts. 6. To purify, as the mind or moral principles; to give or implant in the mind a nice perception of truth, justice and propriety in commerce and social intercourse. This nice perception of what is right constitutes rectitude of principle, or moral refinement of mind; and a correspondent practice of social duties, constitutes rectitude of conduct or purity of morals. Hence we speak of a refined mind, refined morals, refined principles. To refine the heart or soul, to cleanse it from all carnal or evil affections and desires and implant in it holy or heavenly affections. REFI'NE, verb intransitive 1. To improve in accuracy, delicacy, or in any thing that constitutes excellence. Chaucer refined on Boccace and mended his stories. Let a lord but own the happy lines, how the wit brightens, how the sense refines! 2. to become pure; to be cleared of feculent matter. So the pure limpid stream, when foul with stains, works itself clear, and as it runs, refines. 3. To affect nicety. Men sometimes refine in speculation beyond the limits of practical truth. He makes another paragraph about our refining in controversy.
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Hard-cover Edition |
331 |
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512 |
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Compact Edition |
313 |
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217 |
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CD-ROM |
265 |
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179 |
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* As a note, I have purchased each of these products. In fact, as we have been developing the Project:: 1828 Reprint, I have purchased several of the bulky hard-cover dictionaries. My opinion is that the 2000-page hard-cover edition is the only good viable solution at this time. The compact edition was a bit disappointing and the CD-ROM as well. |
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