Skip to definition.
Get the FREE one-click dictionary software for Windows or the iPhone/iPad and Android apps


Adjective: refractory  ri'frak-t(u-)ree
  1. Not responding to treatment
    "a refractory case of acne";
    - stubborn
     
  2. Temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to a process or stimulus
    "the refractory period of a muscle fibre"
     
  3. Stubbornly resistant to authority or control
    "a refractory child";
    - fractious, recalcitrant, incalcitrant [non-standard]
Noun: refractory  ri'frak-t(u-)ree
  1. Lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
    - furnace lining

Derived forms: refractories

See also: disobedient, intractable, unresponsive

Type of: liner, lining

Encyclopedia: Refractory