What does refract mean?
To refract is to bend or change the direction of light, sound, or another wave as it passes from one medium into another. The most familiar example is the splitting of white light into different colours as it passes through a prism, a sheet of glass, or a raindrop. This bending occurs because waves travel at different speeds in different materials. Refraction can also be used more figuratively to describe changing the apparent character or course of something, although this usage is less common than the scientific one. The word is especially useful when discussing optics, sound, or the physical behaviour of waves. It should not be confused with reflection, which sends waves back in the direction from which they came rather than bending their path as they cross into a new medium.
verbTo bend or distort the direction of something, especially light or sound, as it passes from one medium into another. More generally, to cause something to seem different from its true nature or to change its course.
- To bend the direction of light, sound, or another wave as it passes from one medium into another.
- To distort or alter the apparent character or course of something.
"As the light passed through the glass, it refracted and separated into a spectrum of colours."
"The surface of the lake refracted the evening sunlight."
"His quick explanation refracted the complicated issue into a simple, if misleading, story."
Refraction is what turns a ray of white light into a rainbow when it passes through a prism or a raindrop.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does refract come from?
The word comes from Latin refractus, the past participle of frangere, meaning “to break” or “to bend.” The prefix re- and the Latin root gave the word its sense of breaking or turning a ray from its original direction. Its relatives include fraction, fragment, and fracture, all connected with the idea of breaking.
Related word forms
How refract is actually used
In scientific contexts, the term is precise and usually refers to the bending of waves at a boundary between media. Its figurative use is less common and can suggest distortion or a change in how something is perceived.
Easily confused with refract
Reflection sends light or sound back in the direction it came from, whereas refraction bends it as it passes into a different medium.
Deflection broadly means changing the direction of something, while refraction specifically refers to the bending of light or sound caused by a change of medium.