Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RE-FINE, v.t. [Fr. raffiner; It. raffinare; Sp. and Port. refinar; re and fine.]

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. xiii.
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.