| refractory state | Subnormal excitability immediately following a response to previous excitation; the state is divided into absolute and relative phases. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| refracture | <surgery> A second breaking (as of a badly set bone) by the surgeon. <surgery> To break again, as a bone. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| refrain | The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition. "We hear the wild refrain." (Whittier) Origin: F. Refrain, fr. OF. Refraindre; cf. Pr. Refranhs a refrain, refranher to repeat. See Refract,Refrain. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| refrangible | Synonym: refractable. Origin: L. Refringo, to break in pieces (05 Mar 2000) |
| refresh | 1. To renew; to cause to recuperate. 2. To perform revivification. Origin: O. Fr. Re-frescher (05 Mar 2000) |
| refrigerant | That which makes to be cool or cold; specifically, a medicine or an application for allaying fever, or the symptoms of fever; used also figuratively. "A refrigerant to passion." Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| refrigeration | The act of cooling or reducing fever. Origin: L. Refrigeratio (see refrigerant) (05 Mar 2000) |
| refrigeration anaesthesia | Localised application of cold as a means of producing regional anaesthesia. Synonym: refrigeration anaesthesia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| refrigerator | That which refrigerates or makes cold; that which keeps cool. Specifically: A box or room for keeping food or other articles cool, usually by means of ice. An apparatus for rapidly cooling heated liquids or vapors, connected with a still, etc. Refrigerator car, a freight car constructed as a refrigerator, for the transportation of fresh meats, fish, etc, in a temperature kept cool by ice. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| refringence | <physics> Bending of waves as they pass from a medium having one refractive index to a medium (or region within a medium) having a different refractive index. (09 Oct 1997) |
| refringency | Refractive power. Synonym: refringency. (05 Mar 2000) |
| refringent | Serving or having power to refract, or turn from a direct course; pertaining to refraction; as, refractive surfaces; refractive powers. Refractive index. <medicine> The ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction for a ray passing out of one of the media into the other. Origin: Cf. F. Refractif. See Refract. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| refsum disease | A chronic progressive peripheral neuropathy which is probably inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Some of the manifestations of this disorder are atypical retinitis pigmentosa, cerebellar ataxia, and increased cerebrospinal protein levels. Excessive phytanic acid storage has been found in most cases. Onset of symptoms usually occurs in early childhood. Infantile refsum disease (see peroxisomal disorders) differs in that it also includes mental retardation, dysmorphic features, peroxisomal deficiency, and very early onset. (12 Dec 1998) |
| refsum's disease | A genetic disorder of the fatty acid phytanic acid which accumulates and causes a number of progressive problems including polyneuritis (inflammation of numerous nerves), diminishing vision (due to retinitis pigmentosa), and wobbliness (ataxia) caused by damage to the cerebellar portion of the brain (cerebellar ataxia). (12 Dec 1998) |
| Refsum's syndrome | A genetic disorder of the fatty acid phytanic acid which accumulates and causes a number of progressive problems including polyneuritis (inflammation of numerous nerves), diminishing vision (due to retinitis pigmentosa), and wobbliness (ataxia) caused by damage to the cerebellar portion of the brain (cerebellar ataxia). (12 Dec 1998) |