refractory: Meaning and Definition of

re•frac•to•ry

Pronunciation: (ri-frak'tu-rē), [key]
— adj., n., pl. -ries.
—adj.
  1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
  2. resisting ordinary methods of treatment.
  3. difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.
—n.
  1. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
  2. bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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