refractory

WOTD – 28 September 2008

English

Etymology

From Latin refractārius (“obstinate”), from refractus, past participle of refringere (“to break up”). Originally refractary reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory

Pronunciation

(UK, US) IPA: /ɹɪˈfɹæk.təɹ.i/
Audio (US)
(file)

Adjective

refractory (comparative more refractory, superlative most refractory)

Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
- 1787, Alexander Hamilton, “No. 16”, in The Federalist, published 1863, page 103:
  […] in most instances attempts to coerce the refractory and disobedient have been the signals of bloody wars, […]
- 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, Chapter 26,
  Mr. Weller knocked at the door, and after a pretty long interval—occupied by the party without, in whistling a tune, and by the party within, in persuading a refractory flat candle to allow itself to be lighted […]
Not affected by great heat.
- 1855, Frederick Overman, A Treatise on Metallurgy^[1], page 315:
  Pure lime is extremely refractory, but readily fusible if any silex is brought in contact with it; […]
(medicine) Difficult to treat.
- 1949, Albert Fields and John Hoesley, "Neck and Shoulder Pain", Calif. Med., 70(6):478–482.,
  Many of the vague and refractory cases of neck and shoulder pain and of migraine may be due to cervical disc disease.
- 1990, H. A. Ring et al, "Vigabatrin: rational treatment for chronic epilepsy", J. Neurol. Neurosurg.Psychiatry, 53(12):1051–1055,
  In 33 adult patients with long standing refractory epilepsy on treatment with one or two standard anti-convulsant drugs,
(biology) Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.
- 1959, Nobusada Ishiko and Werner R. Loewenstein, "Electrical output of a receptor membrane", Science, 1959, 130:1405-6,
  The production of a generator potential leaves a refractory state in the receptor membrane […]
- 1970, S.S. Barold et al, "Chest wall stimulation in evaluation of patients with implanted ventricular-inhibited demand pacemakers", Br. Heart J., 32(6):783–789,
  The […] delivery of external stimuli […] delineates the pacemaker refractory period after the emission of a pacing stimulus and after the sensing of a spontaneous beat.