[ri-frak-tuh-ree] 
adjective, noun, plural -ries.| 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. |
| 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. |
| re·frac·to·ry (rĭ-frāk'tə-rē) adj.
[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. |
refractory re·frac·to·ry (rĭ-frāk'tə-rē)
adj.
Resistant to treatment, as a disease.
Unresponsive to stimuli, as a muscle or nerve fiber.
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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