refractory

[ri-frak-tuh-ree]

adjective

1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient.

   a refractory child.

   Synonyms: ungovernable, recalcitrant, disobedient, intractable, headstrong, mulish, perverse, obstinate
   Antonyms: tractable, obedient

2. resisting ordinary methods of treatment.

3. difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.

noun

plural

refractories 

1. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.

2. refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.

refractory

/ rɪˈfræktərɪ /

adjective

1. unmanageable or obstinate

2. med not responding to treatment

3. (of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition

noun

1. a material, such as fireclay or alumina, that is able to withstand high temperatures: used to line furnaces, kilns, etc

refractory

1. Having a high melting point. Ceramics that are made from clay and minerals are often refractory, as are metal oxides and carbides. Refractory materials are often used as liners in furnaces.

2. Resistant to heat.

3. Of or relating to a refractory period.

Other Word Forms

• refractorily adverb
• refractoriness noun
• unrefractory adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of refractory¹

First recorded in 1600–10; variant of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory ¹ ), from Latin refrāctārius “stubborn, obstinate,” equivalent to refrāct(us) ( refract ) + -ārius -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of refractory¹

C17: variant of obsolete refractary ; see _refract

Synonym Study

See unruly.

Example Sentences

"The prospect of changing the alloy and including other refractory metals to enhance the composite for nuclear applications is particularly exciting."

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He said the medical cause of Benn's death was "refractory cardiogenic shock due to taxane alkaloid poisoning, following ingestion of yew tree berries and leaves".

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U.S. and European companies have been recently investing in developing synthetic graphite as demand from the EV sector is surging for this soft form of carbon, which until recently was mainly used for steelmaking refractories.

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In order to collect the data, researchers turned to a group of patients who have refractory epilepsy, currently untreatable by medication.

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These unique landscapes would inspire the “Sacred Places” series, where watery glaze shines in contrast to stony, hand-molded castable refractory, which peaks like an island rising from the sea.

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