refractory

/rəˈfræktəri/

Other forms: refractories; refractorily

Imagine yourself pulling a dog who doesn't want to walk. The dog is refractory, or stubbornly resisting your authority.

The word refractory comes from a Latin word meaning "obstinate" and can also be used to mean "not responsive to something." If you have a cold you can't shake, you could say you have a refractory cough. The word can also be used to describe a material that maintains its strength at very high heats. The outside of a space shuttle is made of refractory material, so that it can reenter the atmosphere without burning up.

Definitions of refractory

1. adjective

   stubbornly resistant to authority or control
   “a refractory child”

   synonyms: fractious, recalcitrant

   disobedient

   not obeying or complying with commands of those in authority
2. adjective

   not responding to treatment
   “a refractory case of acne”

   synonyms: stubborn

   intractable

   not tractable; difficult to manage or mold
3. adjective

   temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli
   “the refractory period of a muscle fiber”

   synonyms:

   unresponsive

   not responding to some influence or stimulus
4. noun

   lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
   synonyms: furnace lining

   type of:

   liner, lining

   a protective covering that protects an inside surface