reflex
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re·flex
(rē′flĕks′)adj.
1. Physiology Being an involuntary action or response, such as a sneeze, blink, or hiccup.
2. Produced as an automatic response or reaction: reflex opposition to change.
3. Bent, turned, or thrown back; reflected.
4. Reflexed.
n.
1.
a. Physiology An involuntary response to a stimulus.
b. reflexes A person's ability to respond to new or changing stimuli: His quick reflexes make him a good taxi driver.
2. Psychology An unlearned or instinctive response to a stimulus.
3. Linguistics A form or feature that reflects or represents an earlier, often reconstructed, form or feature having undergone phonetic or other change.
4.
a. Something, such as light or heat, that is reflected.
b. An image produced by reflection.
c. A copy or reproduction.
[From Middle English reflexen, to refract light, bend back, from Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere, to bend back; see reflect.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
reflex
n
1. (Physiology)
a. an immediate involuntary response, esp one that is innate, such as coughing or removal of the hand from a hot surface, evoked by a given stimulus
b. (as modifier): a reflex action. See also reflex arc
2. (Psychology)
a. a mechanical response to a particular situation, involving no conscious decision
b. (as modifier): a reflex response.
3. (General Physics) a reflection; an image produced by or as if by reflection
4. (Linguistics) a speech element derived from a corresponding form in an earlier state of the language: "sorrow" is a reflex of Middle English "sorwe".
adj
5. (Mathematics) maths (of an angle) between 180° and 360°
6. (prenominal) turned, reflected, or bent backwards
vb
(tr) to bend, turn, or reflect backwards
[C16: from Latin reflexus bent back, from reflectere to reflect]
reˈflexible adj
reˌflexiˈbility n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
re•flex
(adj., n. ˈri flɛks; v. rɪˈflɛks)adj.
1. noting or pertaining to an involuntary response to a stimulus, the nerve impulse from a receptor being transmitted inward to a nerve center that in turn transmits it outward to an effector.
2. occurring in reaction; responsive.
3. cast back; reflected, as light or color.
4. bent or turned back.
n. 5.
a. Also called re′flex act`. movement caused by a reflex response.
b. Also called re′flex ac`tion. the entire physiological process activating such movement.
6. any automatic, unthinking, often habitual behavior or response.
7. the reflected image of an object.
8. a reproduction, as if in a mirror.
9. a copy; adaptation.
10. reflected light, color, etc.
11. an element in a language, as a sound, that has developed from a corresponding element in an earlier form of the language: The(ō)in stone is a reflex of Old English ā.
v.t. 12. to subject to a reflex process.
13. to bend, turn, or fold back.
[1500–10; < Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere to bend back; see reflect]
re′flex•ly, adv.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
re·flex
(rē′flĕks′) An automatic, involuntary response to a stimulus, as the withdrawal of a body part from a painful stimulus such as burning heat.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
reflex
Past participle: reflexed
Gerund: reflexing
| Imperative |
|---|
| reflex |
| reflex |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. |  reflex - an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulusinborn reflex, innate reflex, instinctive reflex, physiological reaction, reflex action, reflex response, unconditioned reflex accommodation reflex - reflex changes in the eyes that enable an object to be focused on the retina Babinski, Babinski reflex, Babinski sign - extension upward of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked firmly on the outer side from the heel to the front; normal in infants under the age of two years but a sign of brain or spinal cord injury in older persons belch, burp, burping, eructation, belching - a reflex that expels gas noisily from the stomach through the mouth blink, blinking, eye blink, nictation, nictitation, winking, wink - a reflex that closes and opens the eyes rapidly disgorgement, emesis, puking, vomiting, regurgitation, vomit - the reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth defecation reflex, rectal reflex - normal response to the presence of feces in the rectum yawn, yawning, oscitance, oscitancy - an involuntary intake of breath through a wide open mouth; usually triggered by fatigue or boredom; "he could not suppress a yawn"; "the yawning in the audience told him it was time to stop"; "he apologized for his oscitancy" electrical shock, shock, electric shock - a reflex response to the passage of electric current through the body; "subjects received a small electric shock when they made the wrong response"; "electricians get accustomed to occasional shocks" response, reaction - a bodily process occurring due to the effect of some antecedent stimulus or agent; "a bad reaction to the medicine"; "his responses have slowed with age" knee jerk, knee-jerk reflex, patellar reflex - a reflex extension of the leg resulting from a sharp tap on the patellar tendon light reflex, pupillary reflex, miosis, myosis - reflex contraction of the sphincter muscle of the iris in response to a bright light (or certain drugs) causing the pupil to become smaller mydriasis - reflex pupillary dilation as a muscle pulls the iris outward; occurs in response to a decrease in light or certain drugs micturition reflex - relaxation of the urethral sphincter in response to increased pressure in the bladder gag reflex, pharyngeal reflex - normal reflex consisting of retching; may be produced by touching the soft palate in the back of the mouth goose bump, goose pimple, goose skin, goosebump, gooseflesh, horripilation, pilomotor reflex - reflex erection of hairs of the skin in response to cold or emotional stress or skin irritation plantar reflex - flexion of the toes when the sole of the foot is stroked firmly on the outer side from the heel to the front in persons over the age of 2 years; under 2 years the results should be extension of the toes (Babinski reflex) rooting reflex - reflex consisting of head-turning and sucking movements elicited in a normal infant by gently stroking the side of the mouth or cheek myotactic reflex, stretch reflex - reflex contraction of a muscle when an attached tendon is pulled; important in maintaining erect posture suckling reflex - reflex behavior in newborn mammals; includes finding and grasping the nipple in the mouth and sucking on it and swallowing the milk sneeze, sneezing, sternutation - a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose |
| Adj. | 1. |  reflex - without volition or conscious control; "the automatic shrinking of the pupils of the eye in strong light"; "a reflex knee jerk"; "sneezing is reflexive"physiology - the branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organisms involuntary - controlled by the autonomic nervous system; without conscious control; "involuntary muscles"; "gave an involuntary start" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
reflex
noun automatic, spontaneous, instinctive, involuntary, impulsive, knee-jerk, unthinking I turned to look inside the house in a reflex action.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
reflex
adjectiveActing or happening without apparent forethought, prompting, or planning:
Imitative reproduction, as of the style of another:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
رَد فِعْل تَلْقائيرَدٌّ فِعْلٌ تِلْقائيّ
reflex
refleks
refleksiheijaste
refleks
reflex
ósjálfrátt viîbragî
反射作用
반사 행동
refleksas
reflex
reflex
การกระทำโดยอัตโนมัติ
phản xạ
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
reflex
adj (Physiol, Psych, Phys, fig) → Reflex-; (Math) angle → überstumpf; reflex action (Physiol, Psych) → Reflexhandlung f, → Reflex m; reflex point (Anat) → Reflexzone f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
reflex
(ˈriːfleks) noun, adjective (an action which is) automatic or not intended. The doctor tapped the patient's knee in order to test his reflexes; a reflex action.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
reflex
→ رَدٌّ فِعْلٌ تِلْقائيّ reflex refleks Reflex αντανακλαστικό reflejo refleksi réflexe refleks riflesso 反射作用 반사 행동 reflex refleks odbicie reflexo рефлекс reflex การกระทำโดยอัตโนมัติ refleks phản xạ 反射Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
re·flex
n. reflejo, respuesta motora involuntaria a un estímulo;
Achilles tendon ___ → ___ del tendón de Aquiles;
___ action → acto, acción ___;
___ arch → arco ___;
behavior ___ → ___ adquirido;
chain ___ → ___ en cadena;
conditioned ___ → ___ condicionado;
instinctive ___ → ___ instintivo;
patellar ___ → ___ patelar o rotuliano;
radial ___ → ___ radial;
rectal ___ → ___ rectal;
stretch ___ → ___ de estiramiento;
unconditioned ___ → ___ no condicionado;
vagal ___ → ___ vagal.
V. cuadro en la pagina 225. English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
reflex
n reflejo; conditioned — reflejo condicionado; gag — reflejo nauseoso; patellar — reflejo rotuliano; — hammer martillo de reflejos; startle — reflejo de sobresaltoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.