refractory

[ ri-frak-tuh-ree ]

/ rɪˈfræk tə ri /

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adjective

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.

noun, plural re·frac·to·ries.

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.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of refractory

1600–10; variant of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory¹) < Latin refrāctārius stubborn, obstinate, equivalent to refrāct(us) (see refract) + -ārius -ary

SYNONYMS FOR refractory

1. obstinate, perverse, mulish, headstrong, intractable, disobedient, recalcitrant, ungovernable. See unruly.

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ANTONYMS FOR refractory

1. obedient, tractable.

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Related formsre·frac·to·ri·ly, adverbre·frac·to·ri·ness, nounun·re·frac·to·ry, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for refractory

Diagnosed 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|DAILY BEAST
Occasionally, refractory brick is used, but it is not necessary.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 415, December 15, 1883|Various
The keys of Valenciennes, it was commonly said, opened to the regent the gates of all the refractory cities of the Netherlands.
History of the Reign of Philip the Second, King of Spain.|William H. Prescott
The pessimist is further characterised by an incapacity for prolonged attention, a refractory attention and a feeble will.
Degeneracy|Eugene S. Talbot

These Pausies of Oude generally form the worst part of the gangs of refractory tallookdars in their indiscriminate plunder.
A Journey through the Kingdom of Oude, Volumes I & II|William Sleeman
I was a refractory, I evaded the conscription, that was all.
The Village Rector|Honore de Balzac

British Dictionary definitions for refractory

refractory

/ (rɪˈfræktərɪ) /

adjective

unmanageable or obstinate

med not responding to treatment

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

noun plural -ries

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

Derived Formsrefractorily, adverbrefractoriness, noun

Word Origin for refractory

C17: variant of obsolete refractary; see refract

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

Word Origin and History for refractory

refractory

adj.

"stubborn, obstinate, perverse," 1610s (earlier refractorious, 1550s, refractary, c.1600), from Latin refractarius "obstinate, stubborn," from past participle stem of refringere (see refraction). Related: Refractorily; refractoriness.

Medicine definitions for refractory

refractory

[ rĭ-frăk′tə-rē ]

adj.

Resistant to treatment, as a disease.

Unresponsive to stimuli, as a muscle or nerve fiber.

Science definitions for refractory

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.