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Glite Dictionary
refractile

refractile

1 9.4
Able to bend light that passes through a material like glass or diamond
  • adjective
  • /rɪˈfræktaɪl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refractario
  • The jewels in the crown were made of refractile crystals that sparkled beautifully in the sunlight.

Examples

  • So they're looking for a loss of these refractile structures, OK?

  • MARTIN: Apparently, the intermediary program is on a refractile loop.

    Dear White People (2014)

  • The artist used a unique refractile material that made the sculpture shimmer in different colors.

  • In optics class, we learned how refractile lenses can bend light to focus images.

Synonyms

refractive
vsrefractile
  • Specialized
2 6.9

Able to bend light or other waves when they pass through something

is limited to bending light rather than to other kinds of waves

Surface Forms

refractile positive

Morphology

refractile = refract (transparent) = refract + ile

Formed from the verb 'refract' plus the adjectival suffix '-ile', meaning 'able to refract', which a learner knowing 'refract' can readily infer.

Etymology

Refractile comes from the Latin parts re- and frangere, where frangere means 'to break' and it is the same root as the familiar word fracture. So a refractile object 'breaks' the path of light a little and makes the light bend, which is why diamonds and crystals sparkle.