Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Refractive"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Refractive \Re*fract"ive\ (r?*fr?kt"?v), a. [Cf. F.
r['e]fractif. See {Refract}.]
Serving or having power to refract, or turn from a direct
course; pertaining to refraction; as, refractive surfaces;
refractive powers.
{Refractive index}. (Opt.) See {Index of refraction}, under
{Index}.
{Absolute refractive index} (Opt.), the index of refraction
of a substances when the ray passes into it from a vacuum.
{Relative refractive index} (of two media) (Opt.), the ratio
of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the
angle of refraction for a ray passing out of one of the
media into the other.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
refractive
adj 1: of or relating to or capable of refraction; "the refractive
characteristics of the eye" [syn: {refractile}]
2: capable of changing the direction (of a light or sound wave)
[syn: {deflective}]
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