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Origin and history of reflect

reflect(v.)

late 14c., reflecten, "turn or bend (something) back, reverse;" early 15c., "to divert, to turn (something) aside, deflect," from Old French reflecter (14c.), from Latin reflectere "to bend back, bend backwards, turn away," from re- "back" (see re-) + flectere "to bend" (see flexible). Of mirrors or other bodies or surfaces, "to shine back light rays or images," early 15c., later also of heat or sound. The meaning "to turn one's thoughts back on, resolve matters in the mind" is from c. 1600. Related: Reflected; reflecting.

Middle English also had a separate verb reflexen "refract (light); deflect" (early 15c.), directly from Latin reflexus, past participle of reflectere.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to reflect

flexible(adj.)

early 15c., "capable of being bent; mentally or spiritually pliant," from Old French flexible or directly from Latin flexibilis "that may be bent, pliant, flexible, yielding;" figuratively "tractable, inconstant," from flex-, past participle stem of flectere "to bend," which is of uncertain origin. Flexile (1630s) and flexive (1620s) have become rare. Related: Flexibly. Coles' dictionary (1717) has flexiloquent "speaking words of doubtful or double meaning."

reflective(adj.)

1620s, "throwing back rays or images, giving reflections of objects, reflecting," from reflect + -ive. From 1670s as "of or pertaining to (mental) reflection, taking cognizance of the operations of the mind." By 1820 as "having a tendency to or characterized by (mental) reflection, meditative, thoughtful." Related: Reflectively; reflectiveness.

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More to explore

reflex
c. 1500, "reflection of light, image produced by reflection," from a verb reflex meaning "refract, deflect" (late 14c.; compare reflect), from Late Latin reflexus "a bending back," noun use of past participle of reflectere "to bend back, bend backwards, turn away," from re- "back
shine
Middle English shinen, from Old English scinan "shed, send forth, or give out light; be radiant, be resplendent, illuminate," of persons, "be conspicuous" (class I strong verb; past tense scan, past participle scinen). This is reconstructed to be from Proto-Germanic *skeinanan (s
reverberate
1570s, "beat back, drive back, force back" (the classical sense, now obsolete), from Latin reverberatus, past participle of reverberare "strike back, repel, cause to rebound" (see reverberation). In reference to sound or noise, "re-echo," from 1590s, on the notion of "bend back,
advisement
inspection, observation," from Old French avisement "consideration, reflection; counsel, advice," from aviser "deliberate, reflect...
care package
The name was repackaged late 1940s to "Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere," to reflect its expanded mission...
meditate
probably a back-formation from meditation, or else from Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari "to meditate, think over, reflect...
travel
The semantic development may have been via the notion of "go on a difficult journey," but it also may reflect the difficulty...
contemplate
1590s, "reflect upon, ponder, study, view mentally, meditate," from Latin contemplatus, past participle of contemplari "to gaze attentively, observe; consider, contemplate," originally "to mark out a space for observation" (as an augur does), from assimilated form of com-, here p
think
Old English þencan "imagine, conceive in the mind; consider, meditate, remember; intend, wish, desire" (past tense þohte, past participle geþoht), probably originally "cause to appear to oneself," from Proto-Germanic *thankjan (source also of Old Frisian thinka, Old Saxon thenkia
item
late 14c., originally an adverb, "moreover, in addition," from Latin item (adv.) "likewise, just so, moreover," probably from ita "thus," id "it" (see id) + adverbial ending -tem (compare idem "the same"). The Latin adverb was used to introduce a new fact or statement, and in Fre

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Dictionary entries near reflect
  • refine
  • refined
  • refinement
  • refinery
  • refit
  • reflect
  • reflection
  • reflective
  • reflectivity
  • reflector
  • reflex
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