refractory
hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
resisting ordinary methods of treatment.
difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.
a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.
Origin of refractory
1synonym study For refractory
Other words for refractory
Opposites for refractory
Other words from refractory
- re·frac·to·ri·ly, adverb
- re·frac·to·ri·ness, noun
- un·re·frac·to·ry, adjective
Words Nearby refractory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use refractory in a sentence
As our patient battled drug toxicities and refractory infection, we began to discuss one last option.
A Virus Just Wiped Out Antibiotic-Resistant Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient | Shelly Fan | May 10, 2022 | Singularity HubDiagnosed with refractory acute myeloid leukemia at age 7, Sam was very brave but also very sick.
36 Rabbis Shave for the Brave to Raise Money to Fight Childhood Cancer | John L. Smith | March 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhen pure and of close hard grain it is used as a refractory for lining furnaces, especially those designed for anthracite.
Asbestos | Robert H. JonesAnd so mother and daughter in Mr. Wilding's absence pleaded his cause with his refractory bride-elect.
Mistress Wilding | Rafael SabatiniAt last one of the men mounted his horse, and set out with his lariat to lasso the refractory beast in true cow-boy style.
Gold-Seeking on the Dalton Trail | Arthur R. Thompson
The guard-room, 8, is identified by the remains of stocks, in which the refractory were fastened for punishment or safe-keeping.
The Private Life of the Romans | Harold Whetstone JohnstonShe understood literature and the beauties of poetry, but it was too late to cultivate her refractory memory.
At the Sign of the Cat and Racket | Honore de Balzac
British Dictionary definitions for refractory
/ (rɪˈfræktərɪ) /
unmanageable or obstinate
med not responding to treatment
(of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition
a material, such as fireclay or alumina, that is able to withstand high temperatures: used to line furnaces, kilns, etc
Origin of refractory
1Derived forms of refractory
- refractorily, adverb
- refractoriness, noun
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
Scientific definitions for refractory
[ rĭ-frăk′tə-rē ]
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.
Resistant to heat.
Of or relating to a refractory period.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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