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refractive

refractive

2 6.9
Able to bend light or other waves when they pass through something
  • adjective
  • /rɪˈfræktɪv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : refractivo
  • The refractive index of water is lower than that of glass, affecting how light is seen underwater.
  • refractive index
  • refractive error
  • refractive correction

And that's because of its high refractive index and its size.

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Examples

  • The linear optical properties of a material are determined by its refractive index.

    Academic text (2012)
  • After the full refractive correction, the students were given a low vision evaluation with various low vision devices.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The first step is to determine a precise refractive correction.

    Academic text (2004)
  • And that's because of its high refractive index and its size.

  • Often, we can describe media by their refractive indices.

    Academic text (1999)
  • It's combining the reflections and the refractive light and then you get a lovely effect like that.

  • Like many things in physics, refractive index isn't as simple as we learned in high school.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Consider how refractive materials produce rainbows with varying colors.

  • Glasses and contact lenses bend light to compensate for these refractive errors.

  • Refractive eyeglasses were provided to the 10 students, all of whom benefited from them.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

refractile
vsrefractive
  • Specialized
1 9.4

Able to bend light that passes through a material like glass or diamond

is the same in meaning but functions as an alternative adjective form

Compounds

refractive index
  • Specialized
1 6.1

A number that shows how much a material slows light compared with empty space

Surface Forms

refractive positive

Morphology

refractive = refract (transparent) = refract + ive

Standard adjective formed by adding '-ive' to the verb 'refract'; the adjective meaning directly relates to the verb 'to refract'.

Etymology

The word refractive comes from Latin parts re- ('back' or 'again') and fract ('break'), the same root you see in fracture and fraction. So a refractive material 'breaks' the path of light — in other words, it bends light as it passes through something.