refract

C2 Topic:Science & Research

US /rɪˈfrækt/ UK /rɪˈfrækt/ See IPA manual

Freq #111062

Meanings

1

verb
to make light, sound, or another wave change direction as it passes between media

Water refracts the light and makes the submerged pencil appear bent.
2

verb
medicine: to measure an eye's refractive error in order to determine the needed lens power

The optometrist will refract each eye before prescribing new glasses.
3

verb
figurative: to alter or distort something as it passes through a perspective or medium

The novel refracts the historical event through several unreliable narrators.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make light, sound, or... bend deflect

2 verb · medicine: to measure an... test refraction

3 verb · figurative: to alter or... mediate distort

Word family

Forms refractedrefracting

Derived forms refractablerefractingrefractometerrefractor

Related forms refraction refractive reflect spectrum refractory

Etymology

From Latin refractus, the past participle of refringere ("to break up or bend back"), built from re- + frangere ("to break"). English specialized the verb for the apparent bending of light and later other waves as they cross between media.

Topics

Science & Research

External links

# refract

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /rɪˈfrækt/
**IPA (UK):** /rɪˈfrækt/
**Frequency rank:** 111062

## Meanings
1. to make light, sound, or another wave change direction as it passes between media
2. medicine: to measure an eye's refractive error in order to determine the needed lens power
3. figurative: to alter or distort something as it passes through a perspective or medium

## Examples
- Water refracts the light and makes the submerged pencil appear bent.
- The optometrist will refract each eye before prescribing new glasses.
- The novel refracts the historical event through several unreliable narrators.

## Synonyms
- bend
- deflect
- mediate
- distort

## Derived Forms
- refractable
- refracting
- refractometer
- refractor

## Related Forms
- refraction
- refractive
- reflect
- spectrum
- refractory

## Etymology
From Latin refractus, the past participle of refringere ("to break up or bend back"), built from re- + frangere ("to break"). English specialized the verb for the apparent bending of light and later other waves as they cross between media.

## Topics
- Science & Research

markdown