verb
refract
rih-FRAKT/rɪˈfrækt/
To bend light or other waves as they pass through a medium.
The glass prism refracts the light beam as it crosses the boundary.
Etymology
'Back' and 'break' combine in a Latin verb meaning 'break up.' Applied to light, the breaking concerns its course: the ray changes direction as it passes between substances.
In context
light travels slower in water than it does in air this causes the light to bend or refract as it travels between air and water
More examples
- Water refracts light, making the submerged straw look bent.
- The prism refracted sunlight into a band of colors.
- Layers of air can refract sound waves toward the ground.
Forms
refract · refracts · refracted · refracting
refraction noun — The bending of waves through a medium.
refractive adjective — Able to bend light or other waves.