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)
- 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.
- Not affected by great heat.
- Synonyms: heat-resistant, fireproof
- (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,
- 1949, Albert Fields and John Hoesley, "Neck and Shoulder Pain", Calif. Med., 70(6):478–482.,
- (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.
- 1959, Nobusada Ishiko and Werner R. Loewenstein, "Electrical output of a receptor membrane", Science, 1959, 130:1405-6,
Derived terms
Related terms
- refractive
- refraction
Translations
Noun
refractory (plural refractories)
- 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)
- Intentional; deliberate.
- Synonyms: volitional, voluntary
- 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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