Main Entry: ¹re·flex

Pronunciation: \ˈrē-ˌfleks\

Function: noun

Etymology: Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere to reflect

Date: 1508

1 a archaic : reflected heat, light, or color b : a mirrored image c : a copy exact in essential or peculiar features
2 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 c plural : the power of acting or responding with adequate speed d : a way of thinking or behaving
3 : 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>