Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Language: Late Latin
Origin: , present participle of recalcitrare 'to refuse to obey', from Latin calcitrare 'to kick', from calx 'heel'

recalcitrant

 adjective
     
re‧cal‧ci‧trant formal
refusing to do what you are told to do, even after you have been punished [= unruly]:
a recalcitrant pupil
—recalcitrance noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary