reflect

From Old French reflecter (“to bend back, turn back”), from Latin reflectō (“I reflect”), from re- (“again”) + flectō (“I bend, I curve”)

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈflɛkt/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɛkt

reflect (third-person singular simple present reflects, present participle reflecting, simple past and past participle reflected)

1. (transitive) To bend back (light, etc.) from a surface.

   A mirror reflects the light that shines on it.

2. (intransitive) To be bent back (light, etc.) from a surface.

   The moonlight reflected from the surface of water.

3. (transitive) To mirror, or show the image of something.

   The shop window reflected his image as he walked past.

4. (intransitive) To be mirrored.

   His image reflected from the shop window as he walked past.

5. (transitive) To agree with; to closely follow.

   Entries in English dictionaries aim to reflect common usage.

6. (transitive) To give evidence of someone's or something's character etc.

   The team's victory reflects the Captain's abilities.

   The teacher's ability reflects well on the school.

   • 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page vii:

     With fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get […]

7. (intransitive) To think seriously; to ponder or consider.

   People do that sort of thing every day, without ever stopping to reflect on the consequences.

   • 1985, Justin Richards, Option Lock, page 229:

     Not for the first time, he reflected that it was not so much the speeches that strained the nerves as the palaver that went with them.

• See also Thesaurus:ponder