re·frac·to·ry

[ri-frak-tuh-ree] adjective, noun, plural re·frac·to·ries.
adjective
1.
hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
2.
resisting ordinary methods of treatment.
3.
difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.
noun
4.
a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
5.
refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.
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Origin:
1600–10; variant of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory1) < Latin refrāctārius stubborn, obstinate, equivalent to refrāct(us) (see refract) + -ārius -ary

Related forms
re·frac·to·ri·ly, adverb
re·frac·to·ri·ness, noun
un·re·frac·to·ry, adjective

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

Antonyms
1. obedient, tractable.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
refractory (rɪˈfræktərɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  unmanageable or obstinate
2.  med not responding to treatment
3.  (of a material) able to withstand high temperatures without fusion or decomposition
 
—n , -ries
4.  a material, such as fireclay or alumina, that is able to withstand high temperatures: used to line furnaces, kilns, etc
 
[C17: variant of obsolete refractary; see refract]
 
re'fractorily
 
—adv
 
re'fractoriness
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

refractory re·frac·to·ry (rĭ-frāk'tə-rē)
adj.

  1. Resistant to treatment, as a disease.

  2. Unresponsive to stimuli, as a muscle or nerve fiber.

re·frac'to·ri·ness n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
refractory   (rĭ-frāk'tə-rē)  Pronunciation Key 

  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.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

refractory

any material that has an unusually high melting point and that maintains its structural properties at very high temperatures. Composed principally of ceramics, refractories are employed in great quantities in the metallurgical, glassmaking, and ceramics industries, where they are formed into a variety of shapes to line the interiors of furnaces, kilns, and other devices that process materials at high temperatures.

Learn more about refractory with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
When a neuron fires, it cannot fire again until it has recharged, a time known as the refractory period.
Exact record keeping enabled him to identify and fine refractory employees.
It certainly seemed a rather summary method of repressing a refractory parishioner.
Some studies have shown treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, when present, may help in the control of refractory seizures.
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