reflex

[ adjective, noun ree-fleks; verb ri-fleks ]

/ adjective, noun ˈri flɛks; verb rɪˈflɛks /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR reflex ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

Physiology. noting or pertaining to an involuntary response to a stimulus, the nerve impulse from a receptor being transmitted inward to a nerve center that in turn transmits it outward to an effector.

occurring in reaction; responsive.

cast back; reflected, as light, color, etc.

bent or turned back.

designating a radio apparatus in which the same circuit or part performs two functions.

noun

Physiology.

Also called reflex act. movement caused by a reflex response.
Also called reflex action. the entire physiological process activating such movement.

any automatic, unthinking, often habitual behavior or response.

the reflection or image of an object, as exhibited by a mirror or the like.

a reproduction, as if in a mirror.

a copy; adaptation.

reflected light, color, etc.

Historical Linguistics. an element in a language, as a sound, that has developed from a corresponding element in an earlier form of the language: The (ō) in “stone” is a reflex of Old English ā.

a reflex radio receiver.

a reflex camera.

verb (used with object)

to subject to a reflex process.

to bend, turn, or fold back.

to arrange in a reflex system.

Origin of reflex

1500–10; < Latin reflexus bent back, past participle of reflectere to reflect

OTHER WORDS FROM reflex

re·flex·ly, adverb re·flex·ness, noun mul·ti·re·flex, noun sem·i·re·flex, noun

Words nearby reflex

reflectivity, reflectometer, reflector, reflectorize, reflet, reflex, reflex angle, reflex arc, reflex camera, reflex cough, reflex epilepsy

Example sentences from the Web for reflex

Worry has become as automatic a reflex as breathing in your sleep.

The Israeli App Red Alert Saves Lives—but It Just Might Drive You Nuts |Itay Hod |July 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Then came the moment when a reflex born of a lifetime with a badge caused him to check the door window at the end of the car.

My Patrol With the NYPD’s Bill Bratton |Michael Daly |March 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He is quite a bundle of stimulus and reflex, with no reflection.

The Real Wolf of Wall Street: Jordan Belfort’s Vulgar Memoirs |Jimmy So |December 20, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
The reflex is to say China is going to take us to the cleaners, right?

Sunday Q&A: Josef Joffe on the Myth of American Decline |Michael Moynihan |November 17, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

Tears were a reflex response of the lachrymal glands to these events.

Why Do We Cry? |Michael Trimble |January 10, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
She saw in them, it is true, a reflex of her own power—and that pleased, but it did not move her.

Mary Marston |George MacDonald
His perfect modesty was the reflex of his natural reticence.

A Day With Longfellow |Anonymous
Involuntary attention, often called "reflex attention," is attention called forth by a nervous response to some sense stimulus.

Your Mind and How to Use It |William Walker Atkinson
The tetanic stage is followed by paralysis of reflex movements and cessation of breathing, the heart continuing to beat.

Poisons: Their Effects and Detection |Alexander Wynter Blyth
Then the cerebro-spinal again differentiates into voluntary and reflex systems.

Evolution |Joseph Le Conte

British Dictionary definitions for reflex

reflex

noun (ˈriːflɛks)

an immediate involuntary response, esp one that is innate, such as coughing or removal of the hand from a hot surface, evoked by a given stimulus
(as modifier)a reflex action See also reflex arc

a mechanical response to a particular situation, involving no conscious decision
(as modifier)a reflex response

a reflection; an image produced by or as if by reflection

a speech element derived from a corresponding form in an earlier state of the language "sorrow" is a reflex of Middle English "sorwe"

adjective (ˈriːflɛks)

maths (of an angle) between 180° and 360°

(prenominal) turned, reflected, or bent backwards

verb (rɪˈflɛks)

(tr) to bend, turn, or reflect backwards

Derived forms of reflex

reflexible, adjective reflexibility, noun

Word Origin for reflex

C16: from Latin reflexus bent back, from reflectere to reflect

Medical definitions for reflex

reflex

[ rē′flĕks′ ]

n.

An involuntary physiological response to a stimulus.

An unlearned or instinctive response to a stimulus.

Something, such as light or heat, that is reflected.

adj.

Being an involuntary action or response, such as a sneeze, blink, or hiccup.

Bent, turned, or thrown back; reflected.

v.

To cause to undergo a reflex process.

To reflect.

Scientific definitions for reflex

reflex

[ rē′flĕks′ ]

An involuntary physiological response to a stimulus, as the withdrawal of a body part from burning heat.

An unlearned or instinctive response to a stimulus. Also called unconditioned response See more at classical conditioning.

Cultural definitions for reflex

reflex

An action or movement not controlled by conscious thought. A reflex may be anything from a hiccup to the involuntary response of a body part, such as the action that occurs in the knee-jerk reflex.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

reflex

adjective

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of reflex

OTHER WORDS FROM reflex

Words nearby reflex

Example sentences from the Web for reflex

British Dictionary definitions for reflex

noun (ˈriːflɛks)

adjective (ˈriːflɛks)

verb (rɪˈflɛks)

Derived forms of reflex

Word Origin for reflex

Medical definitions for reflex

n.

adj.

v.

Scientific definitions for reflex

Cultural definitions for reflex

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

reflex

adjective

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of reflex

OTHER WORDS FROM reflex

Words nearby reflex

Words related to reflex

Example sentences from the Web for reflex

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for reflex

noun (ˈriːflɛks)

adjective (ˈriːflɛks)

verb (rɪˈflɛks)

Derived forms of reflex

Word Origin for reflex

Medical definitions for reflex

n.

adj.

v.

Scientific definitions for reflex

Cultural definitions for reflex

British Dictionary definitions for reflex