Physiology. noting or pertaining to an involuntary response to a stimulus, the nerve impulse from a receptor being transmitted inward to a nerve center that in turn transmits it outward to an effector.
occurring in reaction; responsive.
cast back; reflected, as light, color, etc.
bent or turned back.
designating a radio apparatus in which the same circuit or part performs two functions.
noun
Physiology.
Also called reflex act .movement caused by a reflex response.
Also called reflex action.the entire physiological process activating such movement.
any automatic, unthinking, often habitual behavior or response.
the reflection or image of an object, as exhibited by a mirror or the like.
a reproduction, as if in a mirror.
a copy; adaptation.
reflected light, color, etc.
Historical Linguistics. an element in a language, as a sound, that has developed from a corresponding element in an earlier form of the language: The (ō) in “stone” is a reflex of Old English ā.
a reflex radio receiver.
a reflex camera.
verb (used with object)
to subject to a reflex process.
to bend, turn, or fold back.
to arrange in a reflex system.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
An action or movement not controlled by conscious thought. A reflex may be anything from a hiccup to the involuntary response of a body part, such as the action that occurs in the knee-jerk reflex.