Today's Word "refractory"
Stubbornly disobedient or unmanageable
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Published in Vocabulary
refractory \rih-FRAK-tuh-ree\ (adjective) - 1 : Stubbornly disobedient; unmanageable. 2 : Resisting ordinary treatment or cure. 3 : Difficult to melt or work; capable of enduring high temperature.
"Before they were allowed in, the matron announced the single rule within the house: no refractory behaviour. Not exactly certain what refractory behaviour was, before Nell could stope her, Sally dared to enquire. Her question was met with a hard stare, suggesting to Sally that she may have just committed a refractory act." -- Linda Berdoll, 'Darcy and Elizabeth'
Refractory comes from Latin refractarius, "stubborn," from refragari, "to oppose, to withstand, to thwart."
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