different between terrorist vs refractory

English

Etymology

From French terroriste; synchronically terror +? -ist. First used by Edmund Burke.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?????st/

Noun

terrorist (plural terrorists)

1. A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political goals.
2. An agent or partisan of the revolutionary tribunal during the Reign of Terror in France.

Hyponyms

• lone wolfer

Translations

Adjective

terrorist (not comparable)

1. Of or relating to terrorism.
   • 2002 January 29, George Walker Bush, "2002 State of the Union Address".

Usage notes

The use of the label "terrorist" is often controversial or subjective, since one person's terrorist may be another's "freedom fighter", and vice versa depending on somebody's personal ideology or beliefs.A cynical definition may be that a terrorist is someone who murders or terrorizes more of those for whom the terrorist is fighting, than their supposed enemies.

Related terms

• terror
• terrorize
• terroristic
• terrorism
• ecoterrorist

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French terroriste.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?.r??r?st/
• Hyphenation: ter?ro?rist
• Rhymes: -?st

Noun

terrorist m (plural terroristen, diminutive terroristje n)

1. (derogaroty, see usage note) A terrorist.
2. (historical) A supporter of the French Reign of Terror.

Usage notes

Like English terrorist, use of this word is rather subjective.

Derived terms

• terroristisch

Related terms

• terroriseren
• terrorisme

Descendants

• ? Indonesian: teroris

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

terrorist m (definite singular terroristen, indefinite plural terrorister, definite plural terroristene)

1. terrorist (person who uses terror as a weapon in a political struggle)

Related terms

• terrorisme

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

terrorist m (definite singular terroristen, indefinite plural terroristar, definite plural terroristane)

1. terrorist (person who uses terror as a weapon in a political struggle)

Related terms

• terrorisme

Swedish

Etymology

terror +? -ist

Noun

terrorist c

1. terrorist

Declension

Related terms

• terrordåd
• terrorisera
• terrorism

See also

• självmordsbombare

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.

3. Not affected by great heat.

   Synonyms: heat-resistant, fireproof
4. (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,

5. (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