reflex
reflex (rēʹflĕks) adjective
Abbr. refl.
1. Bent, turned, or thrown back; reflected.
2. Physiology. Being an involuntary action or response, such as a sneeze, blink, or hiccup.
3. Produced as an automatic response or reaction: reflex opposition to change.
noun
Abbr. refl.
1. a. Something, such as light or heat, that is reflected. b. An image produced by reflection. c. A copy or reproduction.
2. Physiology. An involuntary response to a stimulus.
3. Psychology. An unlearned or instinctive response to a stimulus.
4. Linguistics. A form or feature that reflects or represents an earlier, often reconstructed, form or feature having undergone phonetic or other change.
verb, transitive
Abbr. refl.
1. To bend, turn back, or reflect.
2. To cause to undergo a reflex process.
[From Middle English reflexen, to refract light, bend back, from Latin reflexus past participle of reflectere, to bend back. See reflect.]