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Firm vs Refractory - What's the difference?

firm | refractory | Related terms |

Firm is a related term of refractory.


As nouns the difference between firm and refractory

is that firm is (uk|business) a business partnership; the name under which it trades while refractory is a material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.

As adjectives the difference between firm and refractory

is that firm is steadfast, secure, hard (in position) while refractory is obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.

As a verb firm

is to make firm or strong; fix securely.

firm

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (UK, business) A business partnership; the name under which it trades.
  • (business, economics) A business enterprise, however organized.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838, page=71, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= End of the peer show , passage=Finance is seldom romantic. But the idea of peer-to-peer lending comes close. This is an industry that brings together individual savers and lenders on online platforms.
  • (slang) A criminal gang.
  • Etymology 2

    (etyl) ferme, from (etyl) ferme, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (er)
  • steadfast, secure, hard (in position)
  • * It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.
  • fixed (in opinion)
  • a firm''' believer; a '''firm''' friend; a '''firm adherent
  • * He was firm that selling his company would a good choice and didn't let anyone talk him out of it.
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2012 , date=May 9 , author=John Percy , title=Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report , work=the Telegraph citation , page= , passage=With such constant off-field turmoil Hughton’s work has been remarkable and this may have been his last game in charge. West Bromwich Albion, searching for a replacement for Roy Hodgson, are firm admirers.}}
  • solid, rigid (material state)
  • firm''' flesh; '''firm''' muscles, '''firm''' wood; '''firm land (i.e. not soft and marshy)
    Derived terms
    * firm up * firmish * firmly * firmness * firmware

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make firm or strong; fix securely.
  • To make compact or resistant to pressure; solidify.
  • To become firm; stabilise.
  • To improve after decline.
  • Aust. To shorten (of betting odds).
  • Anagrams

    * * ----

    refractory

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something.
  • *
  • * 1836 , ,
  • 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
  • Not affected by great heat.
  • * '>citation
  • (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,
  • (biology) Incapable of registering a reaction or stimulus.
  • * 1959 , Nobusada Ishiko and Werner R. Loewenstein, " Electrical output of a receptor membrane]", [[w:Science (journal), 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 delineates the pacemaker refractory period after the emission of a pacing stimulus and after the sensing of a spontaneous beat.

    Synonyms

    * (obstinate) contrary (inanimates), fractious

    Derived terms

    * refractorily * refractoriness * refractory period

    Noun

    (refractories)
  • A material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point.