refract
UK[rɪˈfrækt]US[rɪˈfrækt]
v
To cause light or other radiation to change direction when it passes at an angle from one medium into another of different density.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
fract
re
again, back
fract
break
Etymology
The verb "refract" is a direct borrowing from Latin refractus, the past participle of refringere, meaning "to break up" or "to break open." This Latin verb is itself a compound of the prefix re- ("back") and frangere ("to break"). The core logic of the word lies in this literal image of breaking a ray of light, bending it back from its original straight path. Over time, this specific physical concept of light bending as it passes between substances became the sole, precise scientific meaning of the English term, moving from the general idea of "breaking back" to the specific phenomenon of directional change in waves.
Analysis
Structure: re (again, back) + fract (break)
re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back."
fract: Latin origin, from the root frangere meaning "to break."
Examples
A prism refracts white light, splitting it into a spectrum of colors.
The water in the glass refracts the image of the pencil, making it appear bent.
Lenses in eyeglasses are designed to refract light rays to correct vision.