Search the Dictionary

To refine; to spin into niceties; as, to subtilize arguments. Nor as yet have we subtilized ourselves into savages. Burke.

Refinement; extreme acuteness; subtlety. Intelligible discourses are spoiled by too much subtility in nice divisions. Locke.

Characterized by refinement and niceness in drawing distinctions; nicely discriminating; -- said of persons; as, a subtle logician; refined; tenuous; sinuous; insinuating; hence, penetrative or pervasive; -- said of the mind; its faculties, or its operations; as, a subtle intellect; a subtle imagination; a subtle proce…

A refined mysticism among certain classes of Mohammedans, particularly in Persia, who hold to a kind of pantheism and practice extreme asceticism in their lives. [Written also sofism.]

gar, and, inaccurately, invert sugar. See Dextrose, and Glucose. -- Sugar barek, one who refines sugar. -- Sugar beet (Bot.), a variety of beet (Beta vulgaris) with very large white roots, extensively grown, esp. in Europe, for the sugar obtained from them. -- Sugar berry (Bot.), the hackberry. -- Sugar bird (Zoöl.…

A building in which sugar is made or refined; a sugar manufactory.

One who extracts the residuum of precious metals from the sweepings, potsherds, etc., of refineries of gold and silver, or places where these metals are used.

t I could not make myself sensible to tact as well as sight Southey. Now, sight is a very refined tact. J. Le Conte.

Manner, with respect to what is pleasing, refined, or in accordance with good usage; style; as, music composed in good taste; an epitaph in bad taste.

Refinement; delicacy.

Refined; accomplished; -- said of persons. [R. & Obs.] "Your polite and terse gallants." Massinger.

A cupel or cupelling hearth in which precious metals are melted for trial and refinement. Our ingots, tests, and many mo. Chaucer.

heorems (Coleridge. By the theorems, Which your polite and terser gallants practice, I re-refine the court, and civilize Their barbarous natures. Massinger.

[Cant] Beaconsfield. Block tin (Metal.), commercial tin, cast into blocks, and partially refined, but containing small quantities of various impurities, as copper, lead, iron, arsenic, etc.; solid tin as distinguished from tin plate; -- called also bar tin. -- Butter of tin. (Old Chem.) See Fuming liquor of Libavius,…

A large truncated cone of refined sugar.

The exact state or quality of texture and consistency of well reduced and refined copper.

To purify or refine, as metals; to melt out, and procure in a pure state, as oil, tallow, lard, etc. Shak. The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Ps. xii. 6. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Ps. lxvi. 10.…

Not accomplished or performed; unfinished; also, deficient in accomplishment; unrefined.

Courteous in manners; polite; refined; elegant.

The quality or state of being urbane; civility or courtesy of manners; politeness; refinement. The marquis did the honors of his house with the urbanity of his country. W. Irving.