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