Refractory
/rɪˈfræk.tər.i/noun
Stubbornly resistant to authority, control, or treatment; also able to withstand extreme heat.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin *refractarius*, meaning “stubborn” or “rebellious,” from *refringere* (“to break back”), so its oldest sense is literally resistance that bends the force coming at it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰreg-
“to break”
Latin
Latin
frangere
“to break”
Latin
Latin
refringere
“to break back, break open, shatter”
Latin
Latin
refractarius
“stubborn, disobedient, hard to manage”
Middle French
Old French
refractaire
“refractory, stubborn”
Late Middle English
English
refractory
“resistant to control; stubborn; later, resistant to heat”