transferred. To polish up, make elegant or fine. Also with off, up.

figurative. To remove the roughness of; to smooth, polish, elaborate to perfection. Also, to wear down; to bring into (a certain condition) as if…

figurative. transitive. To free from roughness or coarseness; to make more elegant, cultured, or refined; to improve. In quot. 1400: to cleanse…

figurative. (Of things non-material.)

transitive. To polish or refine; to clear up.

transitive. To clear of stumps. In quot. 1548 figurative. Obsolete.

transitive. To rid of undesirable or alien elements; to refine to an ideal state; to return to an original uncorrupted state.

transitive. To make more delicate, refined, or appealing. Also with into.

transitive. To make pure or clean in spirit, thought, or morals; to rid of or free from sin, guilt, error, etc.; to rid of objectionable or…

transitive. To free (something, as a practice, system, method, product, etc.) from imperfections or defects; to bring to a better state; (now esp.)…

transitive. To soften, to subdue or tone down, to free from harshness or crudity. Also: to make (a person) softer or more tolerant in nature; to…

transitive. To make (a thing) less crude, coarse, or rough; to make more sophisticated; to refine or polish (manners, traits, etc.).

Extended uses. transitive. To make thinner or less material; to refine, purify.

transitive. To make civilized, to refine.

transitive. To transform into something higher, nobler, or more refined. Chiefly with into. Cf. sublime, v. 7b.

transitive. To distil in an alembic. Chiefly figurative: to produce, refine, or transform (an idea, emotion, etc.) as if in an alembic. Cf. alembi…

To free from faults, purify, refine; to correct, revise (a literary work); = chasten, v.1 3. Obsolete or archaic.

transitive. To transform (a person or immaterial thing) into something higher, nobler, or more refined. Formerly also with †to.

figurative. To purify or refine by consuming the grosser part.

transitive. To have a civilizing effect on (something); to improve; to refine. rare.

To impart a higher character to (a person or thing); to dignify, elevate, refine.

transitive. To exalt, elevate; to bring to a state of refinement or perfection.

According to earlier physiological notions: To reduce (imperfectly concocted humours or ill digested food) by further digestion: cf. crudity, n. 2…

transitive. To make sublime (in various senses); to elevate, exalt; to refine.

To polish up, improve.

transitive. figurative. To purge.

transitive. To divest of what is crass, gross, or material.

figurative. To bring to perfection, to refine.