"refractory" Definition

Definitions for the word "refractory" from multiple English dictionaries.

1. a.
Obstinate in disobedience; contumacious; stubborn; unmanageable; as, a refractory child; a refractory beast.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
2. a.
Resisting ordinary treatment; difficult of fusion, reduction, or the like; -- said especially of metals and the like, which do not readily yield to heat, or to the hammer; as, a refractory ore.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
3. n.
A refractory person.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
4. n.
Refractoriness.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
5. n.
OPottery) A piece of ware covered with a vaporable flux and placed in a kiln, to communicate a glaze to the other articles.
Source: The 1913 Webster Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
6. adj.
1 stubborn, unmanageable, rebellious. 2 (of a wound, disease, etc.) Not yielding to treatment. 3 (of a substance) hard to fuse or work. [latin: related to *refract]
Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 1884

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Additional Info
This page provides a list of definitions and meanings for "refractory" from various historical English dictionaries. By displaying multiple definitions, you can compare and contrast different meanings and nuances of a word, phrase, or slang. You can also see the changes in meaning of "refractory" over time by viewing the definitions from different dictionaries published at different times in history. The page also includes other information to help users expand their vocabulary and understand the context of the word.

Important Notes
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