different between refractory vs wilful

refractory

English

Etymology

From Latin refract?rius (obstinate), from refractus, past participle of refringere (to break up). Originally refractary, refractarie, but reanalysed after other adjectives in -ory.

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /???f?æk.t??.i/
  • Rhymes: -ækt??i

Adjective

refractory (comparative more refractory, superlative most refractory)

  1. Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
    Synonyms: (inanimates) contrary, fractious; see also Thesaurus:obstinate
    • 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 []
    • 1913 Eleanor Porter: Pollyanna: Chapter 8:
      For five minutes Pollyanna worked swiftly, deftly, combing a refractory curl into fluffiness, perking up a drooping ruffle at the neck, or shaking a pillow into plumpness so that the head might have a better pose. Meanwhile the sick woman, frowning prodigiously, and openly scoffing at the whole procedure, was, in spite of herself, beginning to tingle with a feeling perilously near to excitement.
  2. Not affected by great heat.
    Synonyms: heat-resistant, fireproof
  3. (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,
  4. (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.

Derived terms

Related terms

  • refractive
  • refraction

Translations

Noun

refractory (plural refractories)

  1. A material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.

Translations

Further reading

  • refractory at OneLook Dictionary Search

refractory From the web:

  • what refractory means
  • what refractory period
  • what refractory material
  • what's refractory depression
  • what's refractory hypotension
  • what's refractory shock
  • refractory period meaning
  • what refractory anaemia


wilful

English

Alternative forms

  • willful (American)
  • wilfull (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English wilful; equivalent to will +? -ful.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /?w?lf?l/, /?w?lf?l/
  • Hyphenation: wil?ful

Adjective

wilful (comparative more wilful or wilfuller, superlative most wilful or wilfullest) (British spelling)

  1. Intentional; deliberate.
    Synonyms: volitional, voluntary
  2. Stubborn and determined.
    Synonyms: obstinate, self-willed, headstrong, spiteful

Derived terms

  • unwilful (UK), unwillful (US)
  • wilfully (UK), willfully (US)
  • wilfulness (UK), willfulness (US)
  • wilful blindness (UK), willful blindness (US)
  • wilful ignorance (UK), willful ignorance (US)

Translations

wilful From the web:

  • what's wilful blindness
  • wilfully meaning
  • what's wilful killing
  • what does wilfulness meaning
  • what is wilful misconduct
  • what is wilful defaulter
  • what is wilful neglect
  • what is wilful sin
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