Meanings
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1
noun
a person or company that purifies or processes a raw substance such as oil, sugar, or metal
The regional refiner converts crude oil into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
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2
noun
a person or thing that improves something by removing faults or making it more precise
A demanding editor can be a valuable refiner of an argument.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed from refine + the agent or instrument suffix -er. Refine first referred to purifying a material and later broadened to improving an idea, skill, or work by removing defects; refiner follows both branches of the verb.