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Refractory vs Resistant - What's the difference?

refractory | resistant |

As adjectives the difference between refractory and resistant

is that refractory is obstinate and unruly; strongly opposed to something while resistant is which makes resistance or offers opposition.

As nouns the difference between refractory and resistant

is that refractory is a material or piece of material, such as a brick, that has a very high melting point while resistant is a person who resists; especially a member of a resistance movement.

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.
  • resistant

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person who resists; especially a member of a resistance movement.
  • A thing which resists.
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Which makes resistance or offers opposition.
  • Which is not affected or overcome by a disease, drug, chemical or atmospheric agent, extreme of temperature, etc.
  • The infection is resistant to antibiotics.
  • (statistics) Not greatly influenced by individual members of a sample.
  • Derived terms

    * resistantly

    See also

    * robust

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----