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| re·flex [ r flèks ] |
adjective |
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| Definition: |
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1. automatic and involuntary: occurring automatically and involuntarily as a result of the nervous system's reaction to a stimulus
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2. extremely fast: very fast in reacting
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3. without thought or preparation: produced automatically, unthinkingly, and totally predictably in response to events
  reflex opposition
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4. mathematics of or over 180°: describes an angle of between 180° and 360°
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5. botany bent back: bent or folded back
reflex leaves
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6. physics reflected: involving a reflection of energy, e.g. of light or a stream of electrons
reflex light
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noun (plural re·flex·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. involuntary bodily reaction: an involuntary physiological reaction, e.g. a sneeze, triggered by a nerve impulse sent from a nerve center in response to a nerve receptor's reaction to a stimulus
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2. physics something reflected: a reflected image, or a reflection of light, sound, or heat
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3. linguistics word developed from earlier form: a later form of a word or other linguistic element that has developed from an earlier one
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transitive and intransitive verb (past and past participle re·flexed, present participle re·flex·ing, 3rd person present singular re·flex·es) |
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| Definition: |
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bend back: to bend back, or cause something to bend back on itself
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| [Early 16th century. < Latin reflexus "bent back," past participle of reflectere (see reflect)] |
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| re·flex·ly adverb |
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