deflection
Americannoun
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the act or state of deflecting or the state of being deflected.
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amount of deviation.
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the deviation of the indicator of an instrument from the position taken as zero.
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Optics. deviation.
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Military. the angle formed by the line of sight to the target and the line of sight to the point at which a gun is aimed so as to strike the target.
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Electronics. (in a cathode-ray tube) the bending by a magnetic field of the beam of electrons leaving the electron gun.
noun
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the act of deflecting or the state of being deflected
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the amount of deviation
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the change in direction of a light beam as it crosses a boundary between two media with different refractive indexes
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a deviation of the indicator of a measuring instrument from its zero position
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the movement of a structure or structural member when subjected to a load
Usage
What does deflection mean? Deflection is the act of deflecting—redirecting something or causing it to move in a direction that’s different from the course it had been on. It can also refer to an instance of deflecting, as in Despite a deflection by the goalie, the ball still rolled into the goal. The verb deflect can also be used in a passive way meaning for something to have its course changed, and deflection can also refer to an instance of this. Deflection can also be used in a figurative way referring to the act or an instance of doing something to avoid questioning or scrutiny, as in When asked about the scandal, the senator offered only deflection, giving a vague answer and changing the subject. Deflection can also be used in more specific ways in scientific and technical contexts. Example: The meteor is headed straight for Earth—our only chance is to cause a deflection using the space laser!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deflection
1595–1605; < Late Latin dēflexiōn- (stem of dēflexiō ), equivalent to Latin dēflex ( us ) (past participle of dēflectere; see deflect) + -iōn- -ion
Vocabulary lists containing deflection
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deflection and diversion sound similar, so it’s worth pausing for clarification.
From Salon • Aug. 4, 2019
Deflection is brilliant, wicked, and tends to work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2018
Deflection of the arm required application of a force of 0.019 N per degree to the tip of the handle.
From Nature • Mar. 28, 2017
Andrew Shaw authored the "Shaw-Shin Deflection" with his Game 1 goal in triple overtime.
From Chicago Tribune • Jun. 26, 2013
By plotting and averaging he obtained the following results:— Excess of Deflection and straining Action of a moving Load over that due to a resting Load.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
