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refractory
(redirected from Refractory material)

   Also found in: Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
refractory /re·frac·to·ry/ (re-frak´tor-e)
1. resistant to treatment.
2. not responding to a stimulus.

re·frac·to·ry (r-frkt-r)
adj.
1. Resistant to treatment, as a disease.
2. Unresponsive to stimuli, as a muscle or nerve fiber.

refractory
[rifrak′tərē]
Etymology: L, refringere
1 pertaining to a disorder that is resistant to treatment.
2 property of conductive tissue to return to original related state in preparation for a second stimulus.

refractory (rēfrak´trē),
adj pertaining to the ability to withstand the high temperatures used in certain dental laboratory procedures. See also cast, refractory.

refractory
not readily yielding to treatment.

refractory period
the period of depolarization and repolarization of the cell membrane after excitation; during the first portion (absolute refractory period), the nerve or muscle fiber cannot respond to a second stimulus, whereas during the relative refractory period, it can respond only to a strong stimulus.
myocardial refractory state
the myocardium is refractory to stimulation during the action potential period, excitability returning in the repolarization phase; initially there is a period of supernormality.

refractory
adjective Intolerable, resistant to therapy, intractable, unresponsive, stubborn


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