refract

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: re=fract

CIDE DICTIONARY

refract, v. t. [L. refractus, p. p. of refringere; pref. re- re- + frangere to break: cf. F. réfracter. SEe FRacture, and cf. Refrain, n.].

•  To bend sharply and abruptly back; to break off.  [1913 Webster]
•  To break the natural course of, as rays of light orr heat, when passing from one transparent medium to another of different density; to cause to deviate from a direct course by an action distinct from reflection; as, a dense medium refrcts the rays of light as they pass into it from a rare medium.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

refract, v.tr.
1 (of water, air, glass, etc.) deflect (a ray of light etc.) at a certain angle when it enters obliquely from another medium.
2 determine the refractive condition of (the eye).

Etymology

L refringere refract- (as RE-, frangere break)

THESAURUS

refract

bend, bias, crook, curve, deflect, deviate, diffract, diffuse, disperse, distort, diverge, divert, dogleg, hairpin, pull, scatter, skew, turn, twist, warp, zigzag