refract

Verb

Verb Forms: refracted, refracting, refracts

To deflect light or waves from a straight path.
subject to refraction
- "refract a light beam"
determine the refracting power of (a lens)
Of a medium, substance, object, etc.: to deflect the course of (light rays), esp. when they enter the medium, etc., at an oblique angle; to cause refraction of (light, other electromagnetic radiation, or sound or other wave phenomena).
To mediate; to alter; to distort.
To cause (light) to change direction as a result of entering a different medium.
To measure, and often also to correct with lenses, the refractive error of (an eye) or the eyes of (a person).

Examples

A prism can refract light.
A prism can refract white light into a spectrum of colors.

Origin / Etymology

From Latin refrāctum, neuter form of refrāctus, the past participle of refringō, itself from re- (“again”) + frangō (“I break”).

Scrabble Score: 12

refract: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
refract: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
refract: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

refract: valid Words With Friends Word