refract

verb

re·​fract ri-ˈfrakt How to pronounce refract (audio)
refracted; refracting; refracts

transitive verb

1
a
: to subject (something, such as a ray of light) to refraction
b
: to alter or distort as if by refraction
to refract that familiar world through the mind and heart of a romantic … womanAnton Myrer
2
: to determine the refracting power of

Examples of refract in a Sentence

Light is refracted when it hits water.
Recent Examples on the Web Even more than most politicians, Biden refracts the world through the lens of the individual—through an accounting of people’s idiosyncrasies and biographies, their talents, flaws, and blind spots. Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 The atmosphere refracts, or bends, the reddish light toward the moon, which reflects it with a red glow. Carlie Procell, The Courier-Journal, 25 Jan. 2024 This directionality, called anisotropy, is the optical magic behind modern liquid crystal displays, which refract light differently depending on their orientation. WIRED, 10 Dec. 2023 The documentary’s opening shots depict Gordon swimming in outdoor pools, her body reflecting and refracting off the water as the camera’s lens wanders over stretch marks. Issy Ronald, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Finally, in the eighteen-twenties, the French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel launched a revolution in optics: a concentric assemblage of hundreds of prisms that both refracted and reflected light, greatly magnifying its power. Dorothy Wickenden, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023 Scorsese’s decision to refract the source material—David Grann’s 2017 book on the killings—through Ernest’s eyes strikes me as beside the point. Hazlitt, 7 Feb. 2024 Chef-author Talati draws upon the community’s history while refracting his recipes through the lens of his family’s history. Meher Mirza, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2023 The light passes through a beam splitter while boosted by an accompanying input laser, and then travels through another mirror while refracted by the spectrometer. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 30 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refract.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin refractus, past participle of refringere to break open, break up, from re- + frangere to break — more at break

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of refract was in 1612

Dictionary Entries Near refract

Cite this Entry

“Refract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refract. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

refract

verb
re·​fract ri-ˈfrakt How to pronounce refract (audio)
: to cause to go through refraction

Medical Definition

refract

transitive verb
re·​fract ri-ˈfrakt How to pronounce refract (audio)
1
: to subject (as a ray of light) to refraction
2
: to determine the refracting power of or abnormality of refraction in (as an eye or a lens)

More from Merriam-Webster on refract

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