refract

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ækt

Verb

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

1. (intransitive, of light) To change direction as a result of entering a different medium
2. (transitive, optics) To cause (light) to change direction as a result of entering a different medium.

   A prism can refract light.

Derived terms

• refracting
• refracting telescope

Related terms

• refraction
• refractive
• refractory
• refrangible
• refringent

 

Translations

to refract — see disperse

to change direction

• Bulgarian: пречупвам се (prečupvam se)
• Dutch: breken (nl)
• Finnish: taittua
• Ido: refraktar (io)
• Italian: rifrangere (it)
• Manx: aascellee
• Maori: hakoko
• Romanian: refracta (ro)
• Russian: преломля́ться (ru) impf (prelomljátʹsja), преломи́ться (ru) pf (prelomítʹsja)
• Spanish: refractar (es)
• Ukrainian: заломлюватися (zalomljuvatysja)

to cause to change direction

• Bulgarian: пречупвам (bg) (prečupvam)
• Dutch: breken (nl)
• Finnish: taittaa (fi)
• French: réfracter (fr)
• German: brechen (de)
• Ido: refraktar (io)
• Irish: athraon
• Italian: rifrangersi (it)
• Manx: aascellee
• Maori: whakahakoko
• Romanian: refracta (ro)
• Russian: преломля́ть (ru) impf (prelomljátʹ), преломи́ть (ru) pf (prelomítʹ)
• Spanish: refractar (es)
• Swedish: bryta (sv)
• Ukrainian: заломлювати (zalomljuvaty)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} réfracter (fr)
• Interlingua: ^{(please verify)} refractar
• Irish: ^{(please verify)} athraon

See also

• reflect

Anagrams

• crafter, recraft