English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com

refractory

The origin and history of refractory.

Etymology

Comes from Latin refractārius ("obstinate"), from refrāctus, the past participle of refringere ("to break up"). It was originally spelled refractary, refractarie, but was later reanalysed to match other adjectives ending in -ory.

← Back to the full definition of refractory