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refractory - 8 dictionary results
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re⋅frac⋅to⋅ry

  [ri-frak-tuh-ree] adjective, noun, plural -ries.
Use refractory in a Sentence
–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.
Origin:
1600–10; var. of refractary (by analogy with adjectives in -ory 1 ) < L refrāctārius stubborn, obstinate, equiv. to refrāct(us) (see refract ) + -ārius -ary

Related forms:
re⋅frac⋅to⋅ri⋅ly, adverb
re⋅frac⋅to⋅ri⋅ness, noun

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. 2009.
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re·frac·to·ry   (rĭ-frāk'tə-rē)   
adj.  
  1. Obstinately resistant to authority or control. See Synonyms at unruly.
  2. Difficult to melt or work; resistant to heat: a refractory material such as silica.
  3. Resistant to treatment: a refractory case of acne.
n.   pl. re·frac·to·ries
  1. One that is refractory.
  2. Material that has a high melting point.

[Alteration (influenced by adjectives in -ory) of obsolete refractary, from Latin refrāctārius, from refrāctus, past participle of refringere, to break up; see refract.]
re·frac'to·ri·ly adv., re·frac'to·ri·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Refractory

Re*frac"to*ry\ (-r?), a. [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.

Refractory

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.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Main Entry: re·frac·to·ry
Pronunciation: ri-'frak-t(&-)rE
Function: adjective
1 : resistant to treatment or cure refractory fulminating lesion>refractory to multiple intensive therapies —Michelle L. Bennett et al>
2 : unresponsive to stimulus refractory period of a muscle fiber>
3 : resistant or not responding to an infectious agent : IMMUNE refractory to reinfection>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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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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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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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.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Orton Materials Testing
 Testing Laboratory for Ceramics, Refractories, and other ASTM Tests.
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Hi Temp Refractories Co
 Firebrick In Stock. Medium, High, Super Duty, And More. Fast Ship.
 www.hitempincusa.com
Refractory Linings
 Precast shapes, fiber modules, furnace components, blanket
 www.deltarefractories.com