refraction
noun
the change of direction of a ray of light, sound, heat, or the like, in passing obliquely from one medium into another in which its wave velocity is different.
refractions
-
pluralof refraction.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
“Shard I,” for example, is an uptempo work from Messrs. Moran and Gilmore that is soon abetted by tape loops and refractions of their playing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Through the mirror’s warp, this mutual curiosity between the viewer and the viewed is mediated by refractions, glimmers and illusions.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2025
Predominantly transparent, the sculptures gather light and focus refractions within their colorful optical space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2022
Vadim Neselovskyi’s third-stream pianism shares the qualities of a sculpture carved in ice: finely wrought detail, sharply traced; glinting elegance; coolness to the touch; refractions of light.
From New York Times ● Jun. 17, 2022
Aristotle had said that rainbows are the result of reflection, while Theodoric showed that they were the result of two refractions and two reflections within each drop of water.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
