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
Unlike an eclipse at midday, where the sun is high and powerful, this event offered an unusual opportunity to see the distorted, refracted solar horns emerge through Earth's thickest atmospheric layers at the horizon.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The cut of the jewels refracts every single light source.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Bending the Light That's because minerals are crystals and crystals can refract light.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025
Red and orange long-wavelength light gets through more easily, striking fewer atoms before being bent (refracted) onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refract
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Jamie Carter, Space.com, 31 Mar. 2025
The cut of the jewels refracts every single light source.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
Bending the Light That's because minerals are crystals and crystals can refract light.
—Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2025
Red and orange long-wavelength light gets through more easily, striking fewer atoms before being bent (refracted) onto the lunar surface.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for refract
Cite this Entry
“Refract.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refract. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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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