Main Entry:

¹re·flex

Pronunciation:

\ˈrē-ˌfleks\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere to reflect

Date:

1508

1 aarchaic : reflected heat, light, or color b: a mirrored image c: a copy exact in essential or peculiar features2 a: an automatic and often inborn response to a stimulus that involves a nerve impulse passing inward from a receptor to a nerve center and thence outward to an effector (as a muscle or gland) without reaching the level of consciousness — compare habit 7 b: the process that culminates in a reflex and comprises reception, transmission, and reaction —called also reflex action cplural : the power of acting or responding with adequate speed d: a way of thinking or behaving3: a linguistic element (as a word or sound) or system (as writing) that is derived from a prior and especially an older element or system <boat is the reflex of Old English bāt>