| fractious | (adj) stubbornly resistant to authority or control, Syn. recalcitrant, refractory, Example: a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness; a refractory child |
| fractious | (adj) unpredictably difficult in operation; likely to be troublesome, Example: rockets were much too fractious to be tested near thickly populated areas; fractious components of a communication system |
| fractiously | (adv) in a fractious manner, Example: the horse was behaving fractiously and refused to jump |
| Fractious | a. [ Cf. Prov. E. frack forward, eager, E. freak, fridge; or Prov. E. fratch to squabble, quarrel. ] Apt to break out into a passion; apt to scold; cross; snappish; ugly; unruly; -- |