refinery

noun

re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfī-nə-rē 

-ˈfīn-rē

plural refineries

: a building and equipment for refining or processing something (such as oil or sugar)

Examples of refinery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The near-record refinery runs aren’t likely to ease rising gas prices for Americans either. — Tasneem Nashrulla, semafor.com, 29 July 2026

Meanwhile, as mentioned above, traditional fuel supply has faced constraints due to refinery closures and environmental regulations. — Wisfe Aish, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

The result of their effectiveness is clear, in frequent videos of Ukrainian strikes on refineries and oil depots that have caused fuel shortages across Russia. — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 28 July 2026

Emergency and commercial inventories are both now at or nearing operational stress levels, at which point physics no longer allows oil companies to easily pump oil out of storage into pipelines to get it to refineries. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 27 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1741, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for refinery

• binary
• finery
• winery

Kids Definition

refinery

noun

re·​fin·​ery ri-ˈfīn-(ə-)rē 

plural refineries

: a building and equipment for refining metals, oil, or sugar