/rɪ'faɪnmənt; rɪ`faɪnmənt/
n
1 [U] refining or being refined 精炼; 精制; 提纯
*the refinement of oil, sugar, etc 油、糖等的精炼
* the gradual refinement of her taste in music 她音乐修养的逐步提高.
2 [U] culture or elegance of manners, taste, language, etc （仪态、趣味、语言等的）高雅, 文雅
*a person of great refinement 温文尔雅的人
* lack of refinement 缺乏教养.
3 [C esp pl 尤作复数]
(a) clever development of eg machinery, technique; improvement （机器、技术等的）精巧的改进; 改良
*all the refinements of 20th-century technology 20世纪技术上的一切进步
* The oven has an automatic timer and other refinements. 这个烤箱有自动定时器及其他改进装置.
* make further refinements to our original model 对我们最初的型号作进一步的改进.
(b) subtle or ingenious development of eg thought, behaviour 精妙, 精细（思想、行为的）
*refinements of meaning, cruelty 意义的精细入微、残酷之极.

n
[C]
an improvement, usually a small one, to something
　The new model has a number of refinements.
[C]
something which is an improved version of an existing product, system etc
refinement of
　The new theory is a refinement of Corbin's theory of personality development.
[U]
the process of improving something
　Some further refinement is needed.
[U]
the process of making a substance more pure
　sugar refinement
refinement of
　the refinement of cocaine
[U]
the quality of being polite and well-educated, in a way that is typical of someone from a high social class
　a woman of great refinement