Dictionary definition · refractory
noun
- lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
adjective
- not responding to treatment"a stubborn infection"
- temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to a process or stimulus"the refractory period of a muscle fiber"
- stubbornly resistant to authority or control"a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness"
Similar words
Source: Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).