refractory, refractary

& s. [Latin refractarius =obstinate, from refract us, pa. par. of refringo to break up; French réfs actaire; Spanish refract a rio; Ital. refrattario.] [REFRACT.] A. As adjective : 1. Perverse, contumacious; sullenly obstinate in opposition or disobedience; stubborn and unmanageable. "Suited to the refractory temper of the Jewish people." -Bp. Horsley: Sermons, vol. ii., ser. 23. *2. Opposed, incompatible "That religion thus nursed up by politicians might be every way compliant with, and obsequious to their designs, and no way refractory to the same." -Cudworth : Intell. System , p. 655. 3. Resisting ordinary treatment. Applied especially to metals, which require more than the ordinary amount of heat to fuse them, or which do not yield readily to the hammer; not easily fused, reduced, or the like. B. As substantive: IMG:content-0362.png:[blocks in formation] "How sharp hath your censure been of those refractories amongst us."-Bp. Hall: Remains, p. 306. *2. Obstinate, perverse, or sullen opposition. "Glorying in their scandalous refractories to public order." -Jeremy Taylor . II. Pottery : A piece of ware covered with a vapor able flux and placed in a kiln, to communicate a glaze to the other articles. re-frăc-ture, s. [Pref. re-, and English fracture (q. v.).] A breaking back or away. "Reluctancies, reserves, and refractures." -Gauden: Tears of the Church , p. 562. trěf-ra-ga-bil-i-ty, s. [Eng. refragable ; -ity .] The quality or state of being refragable; ref rag able ne . tref-ra-ga-ble, adj . [Latin refragabilis , from refragor to oppose, to resist: re -back, and frango =to break.] Capable of being opposed, resisted, or IMG:content-0363.png:[blocks in formation] "If, upon further inquiry, any were found to refragate."- Glanvill : Scepsis Scientific a , ch. xix. rě-frāin', *re-fraine, *re-frayne, *re-freyne, re-freine, v . t . & i. [Fr. refréner =to bridle, to repre , from Lat. refreno , from re-=back, and frenum =a bit, a curb.] A. Trans.: Τo hold back; to restrain, to curb; to keep from action. ( Psalm x1.49.) B. In trans.: To forbear; to hold back; to keep one's self back from action; to restrain one's self. 'For my praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off."- Isaiah xlviii. 9.