subtilize

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: sub=til=ize

CIDE DICTIONARY

subtilize, v. t. [L. subtiliser.].

•  To make thin or fine; to make less gross or coarse.  [1913 Webster]
•  To refine; to spin into niceties; as, to subtilize arguments.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nor as yet have we subtilized ourselves into savages."  [1913 Webster]

subtilize, v. i. 

 To refine in argument; to make very nice distinctions.  Milner.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

subtilize, v. (also -ise)
1 tr. a make subtle. b elevate; refine.
2 intr. (usu. foll. by upon) argue or reason subtly.

Derivative

subtilization n.

Etymology

F subtiliser or med.L subtilizare (as SUBTLE)

THESAURUS

subtilize

adulterate, analyze, attenuate, contradistinguish, cut, demarcate, demark, dematerialize, differentiate, dilute, discriminate, disembody, distinguish, divide, draw the line, emacerate, emaciate, enervate, etherealize, expand, mark the interface, pick out, rarefy, sap, screen, screen out, segregate, select, separate, set a limit, set apart, set off, sever, severalize, sieve, sieve out, sift, sift out, sort, sort out, spiritualize, split hairs, subdivide, thin, thin away, thin down, thin out, water, water down, weaken, winnow

ROGET THESAURUS

subtilize

Rarity

VB rarefy, expand, dilate, subtilize.

& Sophistry

VB judge intuitively, judge by intuition, hazard a proposition, hazard a guess, talk at random, reason ill, falsely, misjudge, paralogize, take on faith, take as a given, assume (supposition), pervert, quibble, equivocate, mystify, evade, elude, gloss over, varnish, misteach, mislead, cavil, refine, subtilize, split hairs, misrepresent, beg the question, reason in a circle, reason in circles, assume the conclusion, cut blocks with a razor, beat about the bush, play fast and loose, play fast and loose with the facts, blow hot and cold, prove that black is white and white black, travel out of the record, parler a tort et a travers, put oneself out of court, not have a leg to stand on, judge hastily, shoot from the hip, jump to conclusions (misjudgment).