Refract
/rɪˈfrækt/noun
To bend light, heat, or other waves as they pass through a different medium.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin refract- , the past participle of refringere, meaning “to break back” or “to break off,” which is the same root family behind words for breaking and fragments.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰreg-
“to break”
Latin
Latin
frangere
“to break”
Latin
Latin
refringere
“to break back, break off”
Middle French
Old French
refracter / refracter
“to bend back or turn aside”
Late Middle English
English
refracten
“to turn or bend back (especially light)”
Modern English
English
refract
“to bend light or other waves as they pass into a different medium”