■ adjective formal
1》 stubborn or unmanageable.
2》 resistant to a process or stimulus.
↘ Medicine not yielding to treatment.
↘ technical heat-resistant; hard to melt or fuse.
■ noun ( plural refractories ) technical a heat-resistant substance.
Derivatives
refractoriness noun
Origin
C17: alt. of obs. refractary , from L. refractarius 'stubborn' (see also refract ).