refractoriness

1 of 2

noun

re·​frac·​to·​ri·​ness ri-ˈfrak-t(ə-)rē-nəs 

: the insensitivity to further immediate stimulation that develops in irritable and especially nervous tissue as a result of intense or prolonged stimulation

refractory

2 of 2

adjective

re·​frac·​to·​ry ri-ˈfrak-t(ə-)rē 

1

: resistant to treatment or cure

a refractory fulminant lesion

had disease that was extremely refractory to multiple intensive therapies

—Michelle L. Bennett et al.

2

: unresponsive to stimulus

the refractory period of a muscle fiber

3

: resistant or not responding to an infectious agent : immune

refractory to reinfection

Did you know?

Refractory is from the Latin word refractarius. During the 17th century, it was sometimes spelled as refractary, but that spelling, though more in keeping with its Latin parent, had fallen out of use by the century's end. Refractarius, like refractory, is the result of a slight variation in spelling. It stems from the Latin verb refragari, meaning "to oppose."