reflex

Meaning

Noun

1. An automatic response to a simple stimulus which does not require mental processing.
2. The descendant of an earlier language element, such as a word or phoneme, in a daughter language.
3. (rare) The ancestor word corresponding to a descendant.
4. The descendant of anything from an earlier time, such as a cultural myth.
5. A reflection or an image produced by a reflection; the light reflected from an illuminated surface to one in shade.

Adj

1. Bent, turned back or reflected.
2. Produced automatically by a stimulus.
3. Having greater than 180 degrees but less than 360 degrees.
4. Illuminated by light reflected from another part of the same picture.

Verb

1. (transitive) To bend back or turn back over itself.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To reflect (light, sight, etc.).
3. (obsolete, transitive) To reflect or mirror (an object), to show the image of.
4. (obsolete, transitive) To cast (beams of light) on something.
5. To respond to a stimulus.

Opposite of

etymon

Synonyms

reflection

reflexive

reflex action

involuntary

reflect

automatic

reflected light

mirror

🪞

reflexion

reaction

innate reflex

instinctive reflex

physiological reaction

reflex response

unconditioned reflex

gleam

reverberation

return

specular

reflected

inborn reflex

unintended

unintentional

image

moving

nonvoluntary

reactions

recurved

reflecting

reflectional

reflective

reflex camera

reluctant

replicate

response

reversion

traffic

turnback

unwilled

unwilling

unwitting

inverted image

refective

retroflection

motivation

unvoluntary

bent as a two bob

actuation

bowbent

ambulation

Translations

reflejo

riflesso

réflexe

Reflex

reflexo

refleks

Spiegelung

reflex

ακούσια κίνηση

reflex

acto reflejo

akis

αντανακλαστική κίνηση

αντανακλαστικό

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɹiːflɛks/

Etymology

Cognate with English: reflect

In summary

From Late Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere (“to bend back”), equivalent to re- + flex. Photography sense is from noun sense meaning “reflection”. Compare English reflect.