REFRACTORY
Dictionary entry overview: What does refractory mean?
• REFRACTORY (noun)
The noun REFRACTORY has 1 sense:
1. lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
Familiarity information: REFRACTORY used as a noun is very rare.
• REFRACTORY (adjective)
The adjective REFRACTORY has 3 senses:
1. not responding to treatment
2. temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli
3. stubbornly resistant to authority or control
Familiarity information: REFRACTORY used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• REFRACTORY (noun)
Meaning:
Lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Synonyms:
furnace lining; refractory
Hypernyms ("refractory" is a kind of...):
lining (a protective covering that protects an inside surface)
Meronyms (substance of "refractory"):
fireclay (a heat-resistant clay)
alumina; aluminium oxide; aluminum oxide (any of various forms of aluminum oxide occurring naturally as corundum)
• REFRACTORY (adjective)
Meaning:
Not responding to treatment
Synonyms:
refractory; stubborn
Context examples:
a stubborn infection / a refractory case of acne / stubborn rust stains
Similar:
intractable (not tractable; difficult to manage or mold)
Domain category:
medical specialty; medicine (the branches of medical science that deal with nonsurgical techniques)
Meaning:
Temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli
Context example:
the refractory period of a muscle fiber
Similar:
unresponsive (not responding to some influence or stimulus)
Meaning:
Stubbornly resistant to authority or control
Synonyms:
fractious; recalcitrant; refractory
Context examples:
a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness / a refractory child
Similar:
disobedient (not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority)
