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Glite Dictionary
👅 Tongue curled 👅 To curl tongue ↩️ Bent backward ↩️ To bend back
to retroflex

to retroflex

9.1
To bend something backward so it curves back on itself
  • verb
  • /ˈrɛtroʊflɛks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : retroflexionar
  • The size of the lingual tonsils forced the epiglottis to retroflex toward the pharyngeal wall.

Examples

  • In the experiment, researchers found that the laser beam could retroflex when it hit the curved mirror.

  • The doctor advised the patient to retire to a retroflex position during the examination for better access.

  • To achieve a retroflex angle, the technician adjusted the settings on the machine precisely.

Synonyms

to recurve
vsto retroflex
1 8.1

To bend something backward, like a leaf or bow

bends fully backward onto itself implying a complete reversal

How Bent

to fold
220 1.0
to curl
173 1.1
to retroflex
  • Specialized
9.1
to bend
268 1.0
to arch
17 3.7
tilt
12 2.8

Surface Forms

retroflex infinitive
retroflexed past
retroflexed past participle
retroflexing present participle
retroflexes third person singular

Morphology

retroflex = retroflex (transparent) = retro + flex

The verb is a straightforward conversion from the adjective retroflex, whose meaning is itself transparently built from retro- + flex.

Etymology

Retroflex comes from the Latin pieces retro- 'back' and -flex 'to bend', as in flexible. So to retroflex something is to bend or turn it backward, for example when a doctor bends an instrument back to see inside the body.