A person or company that removes impurities from a substance, especially metals, oil, or sugar. The refiner processed the crude oil into gasoline and other products.
A device or machine used to purify or improve a substance. The sugar refiner was essential in producing the fine granules used in baking.
Computing: a parameter, facet, or filter that allows users to narrow a set of search results or data items according to specific criteria. The site’s search refiner let employees filter documents by author and date.
A person who improves or perfects something by making small, precise adjustments. The editor acted as a refiner of the manuscript, polishing its language and structure.