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
This was done with the aid of powerful new equipment, such as the Great Equatorial Telescope - a 28-feet-long (8.5 metres) refracting telescope that boasted a 28-inch aperture, which had to be housed in a vast circular shell known as the 'Onion Dome' when installed in 1893.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
That gives the air many more chances to refract the starlight, increasing twinkling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2025
His central staircase is contained in a concrete silo where inside, refracting sunlight ripples across the walls.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Glasses made of these materials also refract light better than cheaper alternatives and offer a more elegant look and feel to elevate the drinking experience.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for refract
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Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 June 2025
That gives the air many more chances to refract the starlight, increasing twinkling.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 15 May 2025
His central staircase is contained in a concrete silo where inside, refracting sunlight ripples across the walls.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Glasses made of these materials also refract light better than cheaper alternatives and offer a more elegant look and feel to elevate the drinking experience.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 10 June 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 29 Jul. 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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