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refract

[ ri-frakt ]
/ rɪˈfrækt /
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See synonyms for: refract / refracted on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object)
to subject to refraction.
to determine the refractive condition of (an eye).
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Origin of refract

1605–15; <Latin refrāctus, past participle of refringere to break, force back, equivalent to re-re- + frac- (variant stem of frangere to break) + -tus past participle suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM refract

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to refract

angle, arch, bow, buckle, camber, careen, circle, contort, crimp, crinkle, crook, crouch, curl, deflect, deform, detour, double, droop, flex, genuflect

How to use refract in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for refract

refract
/ (rɪˈfrækt) /
verb (tr)
to cause to undergo refraction
to measure the refractive capabilities of (the eye, a lens, etc)

Derived forms of refract

refractable, adjective

Word Origin for refract

C17: from Latin refractus broken up, from refringere, from re- + frangere to break
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for refract

refract
[ rĭ-frăkt′ ]
v.
To deflect something, especially light, from a straight path by refraction.
To determine the refraction of an eye or a lens.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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