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refinery

American  
[ri-fahy-nuh-ree] / rɪˈfaɪ nə ri /

noun

plural

refineries

  1. an establishment for refining something, as metal, sugar, or petroleum.

refinery British  
/ rɪˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

  1. a factory for the purification of some crude material, such as ore, sugar, oil, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
refinery Scientific  
/ rĭ-fī′nə-rē /

  1. An industrial plant that uses mechanical and chemical means to purify a substance, such as petroleum or sugar, or to convert it to a form that is more useful.

Etymology

Origin of refinery

First recorded in 1720–30; refine + -ery

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Despite the protests, the pipeline -- designed to transport fracked crude oil to refineries and on to global markets -- became operational in 2017.

From Barron's

U.S. crude oil inventories posted their biggest weekly increase in three years as imports rose, exports fell and refineries cut their capacity use, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal

Phillips 66 announced this month it is laying off 277 workers at its Los Angeles refinery as it winds down operations there.

From The Wall Street Journal

But he said Wesfarmers would like to get the refinery running properly before making a decision.

From The Wall Street Journal

His government said that the Slovnaft oil refinery would stop the export of diesel to Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.