REFRACTORY
fractious, refractory, recalcitrant
(adjective) stubbornly resistant to authority or control; “a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness”; “a refractory child”
refractory
(adjective) temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to a process or stimulus; “the refractory period of a muscle fiber”
refractory, stubborn
(adjective) not responding to treatment; “a stubborn infection”; “a refractory case of acne”; “stubborn rust stains”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
refractory (comparative more refractory, superlative most refractory)
Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
Synonyms: contrary (inanimates), fractious, Thesaurus:obstinate
Not affected by great heat.
Synonyms: heat-resistant, fireproof
(medicine) Difficult to treat.
(biology) Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.
Noun
refractory (plural refractories)
A material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.
Source: Wiktionary
Re*frac"to*ry (-r), a. Etym: [L. refractorius, fr. refringere: cf. F. refractaire. See Refract.]
1. Obstinate in disobedience; contumacious; stubborn; unmanageable; as, a refractory child; a refractory beast. Raging appetites that are Most disobedient and refractory. Shak.
2. Resisting ordinary treatment; difficult of fusion, reduction, or the like; -- said especially of metals and the like, which do not readily yield to heat, or to the hammer; as, a refractory ore.
Syn.
– Perverse; contumacious; unruly; stubborn; obstinate; unyielding; ungovernable; unmanageable.
Re*frac"to*ry, n.
1. A refractory person. Bp. Hall.
2. Refractoriness. [Obs.] Jer. TAylor.
3. OPottery) A piece of ware covered with a vaporable flux and placed in a kiln, to communicate a glaze to the other articles. Knight.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
2 February 2025
BACK
(adverb) at or to or toward the back or rear; “he moved back”; “tripped when he stepped backward”; “she looked rearward out the window of the car”
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