Reflect
Pronunciation
- US IPA: /ˈɹiflɛkt/
- Rhymes: -iflɛkt
- UK IPA: /ɹəˈflɛkt/
- Rhymes: -ɛkt
Origin
From Old French reflecter ("to bend back, turn back"), from Latin reflectÅ ("I reflect"), from re- ("again")+flectÅ ("I bend, I curve")
Full definition of reflect
Verb
- (transitive) To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.A mirror reflects the light that shines on it.
- (intransitive) To be bent back (light, etc.) from a surface.The moonlight reflected from the surface of water.
- (transitive) To mirror, or show the image of something.The shop window reflected his image as he walked past.
- (intransitive) To be mirrored.His image reflected from the shop window as he walked past.
- (transitive) To agree with; to closely follow.Entries in English dictionaries aim to reflect common usage.
- (transitive) To give evidence of someone's or something's character etc.The team's victory reflects the Captain's abilities.The teacher's ability reflects well on the school.
- Schuster Hepaticae V|viiWith fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get...
- (think seriously) (intransitive) To think seriously; to ponder or consider.People do that sort of thing every day, without ever stopping to reflect on the consequences.
- 1985, Justin Richards, Option Lock, page 229:Not for the first time, he reflected that it was not so much the speeches that strained the nerves as the palaver that went with them.