re·flex
(rḗflĕkś)
[From Middle English reflexen, to refract light, bend back, from Latin reflexus past participle of reflectere, to bend back; see reflect.]
adjective
- Bent, turned, or thrown back; reflected.
- Physiology Being an involuntary action or response, such as a sneeze, blink, or hiccup.
- Produced as an automatic response or reaction: reflex opposition to change.
noun
- Something, such as light or heat, that is reflected.
- An image produced by reflection.
- A copy or reproduction.
- Physiology An involuntary response to a stimulus.
- Psychology An unlearned or instinctive response to a stimulus.
- Linguistics A form or feature that reflects or represents an earlier, often reconstructed, form or feature having undergone phonetic or other change.
transitive verb: -flexed, -flex·ing, -flex·es.
- To bend, turn back, or reflect.
- To cause to undergo a reflex process.
