—adj.
1 stubborn, unmanageable, rebellious.
2 a (of a wound, disease, etc.) not yielding to treatment. b (of a person etc.) resistant to infection.
3 (of a substance) hard to fuse or work.
—n. (pl. -ies) a substance especially resistant to heat, corrosion, etc.
Derivatives:
refractorily adv. refractoriness n.
Etymology: alt. of obs. refractary f. L refractarius (as REFRACT)
Useful english dictionary. 2012.