refract

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verb

Of a medium, substance, object, etc.: to deflect the course of (light rays), esp. when they enter the medium, etc., at an oblique angle; to cause refraction of (light, other electromagnetic radiation, or sound or other wave phenomena).

“A prism can refract light.”

OriginLatin refrāctum →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

verbrefract (third-person singular simple present refracts, present participle refracting, simple past and past participle refracted)

present singular third person refracts · participle present refracting · participle past refracted · past refracted

  1. transitivenatural sciencesOf a medium, substance, object, etc.: to deflect the course of (light rays), esp. when they enter the medium, etc., at an oblique angle; to cause refraction of (light, other electromagnetic radiation, or sound or other wave phenomena).
  2. figurativelytransitiveTo mediate; to alter; to distort.
  3. transitiveengineeringTo cause (light) to change direction as a result of entering a different medium.
  4. transitivemedicineTo measure, and often also to correct with lenses, the refractive error of (an eye) or the eyes of (a person).

    A prism can refract light.

Origin

  1. Latinrefrāctum
  2. Englishrefract

From Latin refrāctum, neuter form of refrāctus, the past participle of refringō, itself from re- (“again”) + frangō (“to break”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian пречупвам се, пречупвам
  • пречупвам се (prečupvam se)to change direction
  • пречупвам (prečupvam)to cause to change direction
Dutch breken, breken
  • brekento change direction
  • brekento cause to change direction
Finnish taittua, taittaa
  • taittuato change direction
  • taittaato cause to change direction
French réfracter
  • réfracterto cause to change direction
German brechen
  • brechento cause to change direction
Irish athraon
  • athraonto cause to change direction
Italian rifrangere, rifrangersi
  • rifrangereto change direction
  • rifrangersito cause to change direction
Māori hakoko, whakahakoko
  • hakokoto change direction
  • whakahakokoto cause to change direction
Romanian refracta, refracta
  • refractato change direction
  • refractato cause to change direction
Russian преломля́ться, преломи́ться
  • преломля́ться (prelomljátʹsja)to change direction
  • преломи́ться (prelomítʹsja)to change direction
  • преломля́ть (prelomljátʹ)to cause to change direction
  • преломи́ть (prelomítʹ)to cause to change direction
Spanish refractar, refractar
  • refractarto change direction
  • refractarto cause to change direction
Swedish bryta
  • brytato cause to change direction
Ukrainian заломлюватися, заломлювати
  • заломлюватися (zalomljuvatysja)to change direction
  • заломлювати (zalomljuvaty)to cause to change direction

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with refract

contactactfactcontractimpactabstractexactextractpackedinteractbackedattracttractreactintactcrackedpactsubtractenactdistracttransacttactcounteractretract
All rhymes →

Anagrams

crafterrecraft
Cite this entry
APA

refract. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refract

MLA

“refract.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refract. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “refract,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/refract.

Source: refract on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.