refracted; refracting; refracts
1
a
: to subject (something, such as a ray of light) to refraction
Between them, Kirchhoff and Bunsen developed the spectroscope, which uses a prism to refract light.—
Paul Strathern
Paul Strathern
b
: to alter or distort as if by refraction
"Nope" is his twist on the alien-invasion film as refracted through the prism of [filmmaker] David Lynch.—Cary Darling
Cary DarlingToo often Indian food, and later Chinese—then the two most favored and accepted of foreign cuisines—became refracted through the prism of British food.—Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson2
: to determine the refracting power of
refract a lens
: to be subjected to refraction
The head of the figure is often surrounded by rings of coloured light caused by light diffraction. Like with a rainbow, this is caused by light refracting through tiny droplets of water in the air.—Olivia Jones
Olivia JonesExamples of refract in a Sentence
Light is refracted when it hits water.
Recent Examples on the Web
There are certain substances that become prisms for rappers, their descriptions refracting through regional and personal styles as if through a thousand shards of glass.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
In other words, Longlegs is yet another modern horror movie in which evil has been refracted and multiplied by the people around us.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 12 July 2024
Yet within the show, the participants’ behavior tends to be refracted through the lens of what money can bring to their lives.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024
There are high-shine options from Rotate and J.Crew that’ll refract below a disco ball.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refract 
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Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
In other words, Longlegs is yet another modern horror movie in which evil has been refracted and multiplied by the people around us.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 12 July 2024
Yet within the show, the participants’ behavior tends to be refracted through the lens of what money can bring to their lives.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024
There are high-shine options from Rotate and J.Crew that’ll refract below a disco ball.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for refract
Dictionary Entries Near refract
Cite this Entry
“Refract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refract. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
refract
verb
re·fract
ri-ˈfrakt 
: to cause to go through refraction
Medical Definition
refract
transitive verb
re·fract
ri-ˈfrakt
1
: to subject (as a ray of light) to refraction
2
: to determine the refracting power of or abnormality of refraction in (as an eye or a lens)
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