Chapter 1311

2. To be sent back; to rebound as from a surface; to revert; to return.

Whose virtues will, I hope, Reflect on Rome, as Titan's rays on earth. Shak.

3. To throw or turn back the thoughts upon anything; to contemplate. Specifically: To attend earnestly to what passes within the mind; to attend to the facts or phenomena of consciousness; to use attention or earnest thought; to meditate; especially, to think in relation to moral truth or rules.

We can not be said to reflect upon any external object, except so far as that object has been previously perceived, and its image become part and parcel of our intellectual furniture. Sir W. Hamilton.

All men are concious of the operations of their own minds, at all times, while they are awake, but there few who reflect upon them, or make them objects of thought. Reid.

As I much reflected , much I mourned. Prior.

4. To cast reproach; to cause censure or dishonor.

Errors of wives reflect on husbands still. Dryden.

Neither do I reflect in the least upon the memory of his late majesty. Swift.

Syn. -- To consider; think; cogitate; mediate; contemplate; ponder; muse; ruminate.

Reflected <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"ed , a. 1. Thrown back after striking a surface; as, reflected light, heat, sound, etc.

2. Hence: Not one's own; received from another; as, his glory was reflected glory .

3. Bent backward or outward; reflexed.

Reflectent <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"ent (r?*fl?kt" e nt) , a. [L. reflectens , p. pr. of reflectere . See Reflect .] 1. Bending or flying back; reflected. "The ray descendent, and the ray reflectent flying with so great a speed."

Sir K. Digby.

2. Reflecting; as, a reflectent body .

Sir K. Digby.

Reflectible <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"i*ble (-?*b'l) , a. Capable of being reflected, or thrown back; reflexible.

Reflecting <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"ing , a. 1. Throwing back light, heat, etc., as a mirror or other surface.

2. Given to reflection or serious consideration; reflective; contemplative; as, a reflecting mind .

Reflecting circle , an astronomical instrument for measuring angless, like the sextant or Hadley's quadrant, by the reflection of light from two plane mirrors which it carries, and differing from the sextant chiefly in having an entire circle. -- Reflecting galvanometer , a galvanometer in which the deflections of the needle are read by means of a mirror attached to it, which reflects a ray of light or the image of a scale; -- called also mirror galvanometer . -- Reflecting goniometer . See under Goniometer . -- Reflecting telescope . See under Telescope .

Reflectingly <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"ing*ly , adv. With reflection; also, with censure; reproachfully.

Swift.

Reflection <Xpage=1207>

Re*flec"tion (r?*fl?k"sh?n) , n. [L. reflexio : cf. F. r\'82flexion . See Riflect .] <def > [Written also reflexion .]

1. The act of reflecting, or turning or sending back, or the state of being reflected. Specifically: (a) The return of rays, beams, sound, or the like, from a surface . See Angle of reflection , below.

The eye sees not itself, But by reflection , by some other things. Shak.

(b) The reverting of the mind to that which has already occupied it; continued consideration; meditation; contemplation; hence, also, that operation or power of the mind by which it is conscious of its own acts or states; the capacity for judging rationally, especially in view of a moral rule or standard .

By reflection , . . . I would be understood to mean, that notice which the mind takes of its own operations, and the manner of them, by reason whereof there come to be ideas of these operations in the understanding. Locke.

This delight grows and improves under thought and reflection . South.

2. Shining; brightness, as of the sun. [Obs.]

Shak.

3. That which is produced by reflection. Specifically: (a) An image given back from a reflecting surface; a reflected counterpart.

As the sun water we can bear, Yet not the sun, but his reflection , there. Dryden.

(b) A part reflected, or turned back, at an angle; as, the reflection of a membrane . (c) Result of meditation; thought or opinion after attentive consideration or contemplation; especially, thoughts suggested by truth .

Job's reflections on his once flourishing estate did at the same time afflict and encourage him. Atterbury.

4. Censure; reproach cast.

He died; and oh! may no reflection shed Its poisonous venom on the royal dead. Prior.

5. (Physiol.) The transference of an excitement from one nerve fiber to another by means of the nerve cells, as in reflex action. See Reflex action , under Reflex .

Angle of reflection , the angle which anything, as a ray of light, on leaving a reflecting surface, makes with the perpendicular to the surface. -- Angle of total reflection . (Opt.) Same as Critical angle , under Critical .

Syn. -- Meditation; contemplation; rumination; cogitation; consideration; musing; thinking.

Reflective <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"ive (r?*fl?kt"?v) , a. [Cf. F. r\'82flectif . Cf. Reflexive .] 1. Throwing back images; as, a reflective mirror .

In the reflective stream the sighing bride, viewing her charms. Prior.

2. Capable of exercising thought or judgment; as, reflective reason .

Prior.

His perceptive and reflective faculties . . . thus acquired a precocious and extraordinary development. Motley.

3. Addicted to introspective or meditative habits; as, a reflective person .

4. (Gram.) Reflexive; reciprocal.

-- Re*flect"ive*ly , adv. -- Re*flect"ive*ness , n. " Reflectiveness of manner."

J. C. Shairp.

Reflector <Xpage=1207>

Re*flect"or (-&etil;r) , n. [Cf. F. r\'82flecteur .] 1. One who, or that which, reflects.

Boyle.

2. (Physics) (a) Something having a polished surface for reflecting light or heat, as a mirror, a speculum, etc. (b) A reflecting telescope. (c) A device for reflecting sound.

Reflex <Xpage=1207>

Re"flex (r?"fl?ks) , a. [L. reflexus , p. p. of reflectere : cf. F. r\'82flexe . See Reflect .] 1. Directed back; attended by reflection; retroactive; introspective.

The reflex act of the soul, or the turning of the intellectual eye inward upon its own actions. Sir M. Hale.

2. Produced in reaction, in resistance, or in return.

3. (Physiol.) Of, pertaining to, or produced by, stimulus or excitation without the necessary intervention of consciousness.

Reflex action (Physiol.) , any action performed involuntarily in consequence of an impulse or impression transmitted along afferent nerves to a nerve center, from which it is reflected to an efferent nerve, and so calls into action certain muscles, organs, or cells. -- Reflex nerve (Physiol.) , an excito-motory nerve. See Exito-motory .

Reflex <Xpage=1207>

Re"flex (r?"fl?ks; formerly r?*fl?ks") , n. [L. reflexus a bending back. See Reflect .] 1. Reflection; the light reflected from an illuminated surface to one in shade.

Yon gray is not the morning's eye, 'Tis but the pale reflex of Cynthia's brow. Shak.

On the depths of death there swims The reflex of a human face. Tennyson.

2. (Physiol.) An involuntary movement produced by reflex action.

Patellar reflex . See Knee jerk , under Knee .

Reflex <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex" (r?*fl?ks") , v. t. [L. reflexus , p. p. of reflectere . See Reflect .] 1. To reflect. [Obs.]

Shak.

2. To bend back; to turn back.

J. Gregory.

Reflexed <Xpage=1207>

Re*flexed" (r?*fl?kst") , a. Bent backward or outward.

Reflexibility <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex`i*bil"i*ty (r?*fl?ks`?*b?l"?*t?) , n. [Cf. F. r\'82flexibilit\'82 .] The quality or capability of being reflexible; as, the reflexibility of the rays of light .

Sir I. Newton.

Reflexible <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex"i*ble (r?*fl?ks"?*b'l) , a. [CF. F. r\'82flexible .] Capable of being reflected, or thrown back.

The light of the sun consists of rays differently refrangible and reflexible . Cheyne.

Reflexion <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex"ion (-fl?k"sh?n) , n. See Reflection .

Chaucer.

Reflexity <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex"i*ty (r?*fl?ks"?*t?) , n. The state or condition of being reflected. [R.]

Reflexive <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex"ive (-?v) , a. 1. [Cf. F. r\'82flexif .] Bending or turned backward; reflective; having respect to something past.

Assurance reflexive can not be a divine faith. Hammond.

2. Implying censure. [Obs.] "What man does not resent an ugly reflexive word?"

South.

3. (Gram.) Having for its direct object a pronoun which refers to the agent or subject as its antecedent; -- said of certain verbs; as, the witness perjured himself; I bethought myself. Applied also to pronouns of this class; reciprocal; reflective.

-- Re*flex"ive*ly , adv. -- Re*flex"ive*ness , n.

Reflexiv <Xpage=1207>

Re*flex"iv , adv. In a reflex manner; reflectively.

Refloat <Xpage=1207>

Re"float (r?"fl?t) , n. Reflux; ebb. [Obs.]

Bacon.

Reflorescence <Xpage=1207>

Re`flo*res"cence (r?`fl?*r?s"s e ns) , n. (Bot.) A blossoming anew of a plant after it has apparently ceased blossoming for the season.

Reflourish <Xpage=1207>

Re*flour"ish (r?*fl?r"?sh) , v. t. & i. To flourish again.

Reflew <Xpage=1207>

Re*flew" (r?*fl?") , v. i. To flow back; to ebb.

Reflower <Xpage=1207>

Re*flow"er (r&emac;*flou"&etil;r) , v. i. & t. To flower, or cause to flower, again.

Sylvester.

Refluctuation <Xpage=1207>

Re*fluc`tu*a"tion (r?*fl?k`t?*?"sh?n; 135) , n. A flowing back; refluence.

Refluence rfl- e ns, Refluency <Xpage=1207>

Ref"lu*ence (r?f"l?- e ns) , Ref"lu*en*cy (- e n*s?) , n. The quality of being refluent; a flowing back.

Refluent <Xpage=1207>

Ref"lu*ent (- e nt) , a. [L. refluens , p. pr. of refluere to flow back; pref. re- re- + fluere to flow. See Flurent .] Flowing back; returning; ebbing.

Cowper.

And refluent through the pass of fear The battle's tide was poured. Sir W. Scott.

Reflueus <Xpage=1207>

Ref"lu*eus (-?s) , a. [L. refluus .] Refluent. [Obs.]

Reflux <Xpage=1207>

Re"flux` (r?"fl?ks`) , a. Returning, or flowing back; reflex; as, reflux action .

Reflux <Xpage=1207>

Re"flux` , n. [F. reflux . See Refluent , Flux .] A flowing back, as the return of a fluid; ebb; reaction; as, the flux and reflux of the tides .

All from me Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound. Milton.

Refocillate <Xpage=1207>

Re*foc"il*late (r?*f?s"?l*l?t) , v. t. [L. refocillatus , p. p. of refocillare ; pref. re- re- + focillare to revive by warmth.] To refresh; to revive. [Obs.]

Aubrey.

Refocillation <Xpage=1207>

Re*foc`il*la"tion (-l?"sh?n) , n. Restoration of strength by refreshment. [Obs.]

Middleton.

Refold <Xpage=1207>

Re*fold" (r?*f?ld") , v. t. To fold again.

Refoment <Xpage=1207>

Re`fo*ment" (r?`f?*m ? nt") , v. t. To foment anew.

Reforestization <Xpage=1207>

Re*for`est*i*za`tion (r?*f?r`?st*?*z?"sh?n) , n. The act or process of reforestizing.

Reforestize <Xpage=1207>

Re*for"est*ize (r?*f?r"?st*?z) , v. t. To convert again into a forest; to plant again with trees.

Reforge <Xpage=1207>

Re*forge" (r?*f?rj") , v. t. [Pref. re- + forge : cf. F. reforger .] To forge again or anew; hence, to fashion or fabricate anew; to make over.

Udall.

Reforger <Xpage=1207>

Re*for"ger (r?*f?r"j?r) , n. One who reforges.

Reform <Xpage=1207>

Re*form" (r?*f?rm") , v. t. [F. r\'82former , L. reformare ; pref. re- re- + formare to form, from forma form. See Form .] To put into a new and improved form or condition; to restore to a former good state, or bring from bad to good; to change from worse to better; to amend; to correct; as, to reform a profligate man; to reform corrupt manners or morals.

The example alone of a vicious prince will corrupt an age; but that of a good one will not reform it. Swift.

Syn. -- To amend; correct; emend; rectify; mend; repair; better; improve; restore; reclaim.

Reform <Xpage=1207>

Re*form" , v. i. To return to a good state; to amend or correct one's own character or habits; as, a man of settled habits of vice will seldom reform .

Reform <Xpage=1207>

Re*form" , n. [F. r\'82forme .] Amendment of what is defective, vicious, corrupt, or depraved; reformation; as, reform of elections; reform of government.

Civil service reform . See under Civil . -- Reform acts (Eng. Politics) , acts of Parliament passed in 1832, 1867, 1884, 1885, extending and equalizing popular representation in Parliament. -- Reform school , a school established by a state or city government, for the confinement, instruction, and reformation of juvenile offenders, and of young persons of idle, vicious, and vagrant habits. [U. S.]

Syn. -- Reformation; amendment; rectification; correction. See Reformation .

Re-form <Xpage=1207>

Re-form" (r?*f?rm") , v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Re-formed (-f?rmd") ; p. pr. & vb. n. Re-forming .] To give a new form to; to form anew; to take form again, or to take a new form; as, to re-form the line after a charge .

Reformable <Xpage=1207>

Re*form"a*ble (r?*f?rm"?*b'l) , a. Capable of being reformed.

Foxe.

Reformade <Xpage=1207>

Ref`or*made" (r?f`?r*m?d") , n. A reformado. [Obs.]

Reformado <Xpage=1207>

Ref`or*ma"do (-m?"d?) , n. [Sp., fr. reformar , L. reformare . SEe Reform , v. t. ] 1. A monk of a reformed order. [Obs.]

Weever.

2. An officer who, in disgrace, is deprived of his command, but retains his rank, and sometimes his pay. [Obs.]

Reformalize <Xpage=1207>

Re*form"al*ize (r?*f?rm" a l*?z) , v. i. To affect reformation; to pretend to correctness. [R.]

Reformation <Xpage=1207>

Ref`or*ma"tion (r?f`?r*m?"sh?n) , n. [F. r\'82formation , L. reformatio .] 1. The act of reforming, or the state of being reformed; change from worse to better; correction or amendment of life, manners, or of anything vicious or corrupt; as, the reformation of manners; reformation of the age; reformation of abuses .

Satire lashes vice into reformation . Dryden.

<page="1208"> Page 1208

2. Specifically (Eccl. Hist.) , the important religious movement commenced by Luther early in the sixteenth century, which resulted in the formation of the various Protestant churches.

Syn. -- Reform; amendment; correction; rectification. -- Reformation , Reform . Reformation is a more thorough and comprehensive change than reform . It is applied to subjects that are more important, and results in changes which are more lasting. A reformation involves, and is followed by, many particular reforms . "The pagan converts mention this great reformation of those who had been the greatest sinners, with that sudden and surprising change which the Christian religion made in the lives of the most profligate." Addison . "A variety of schemes, founded in visionary and impracticable ideas of reform , were suddenly produced." Pitt .

Re-formation <Xpage=1208>

Re`-for*ma"tion (r?`f?r*m?"sh?n) , n. The act of forming anew; a second forming in order; as, the reformation of a column of troops into a hollow square .

Reformative <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"a*tive (r?*f?rm"?*t?v) , a. Forming again; having the quality of renewing form; reformatory.

Good.

Reformatory <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"a*to*ry (-t?*r?) , a. Tending to produce reformation; reformative.

Reformatory <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"a*to*ry , n. ; pl. -ries (-r<?/z) . An institution for promoting the reformation of offenders.

Magistrates may send juvenile offenders to reformatories instead of to prisons. Eng. Cyc.

Reformed <Xpage=1208>

Re*formed" (r?*f?rmd") , a. 1. Corrected; amended; restored to purity or excellence; said, specifically, of the whole body of Protestant churches originating in the Reformation. Also, in a more restricted sense, of those who separated from Luther on the doctrine of consubstantiation, etc., and carried the Reformation, as they claimed, to a higher point. The Protestant churches founded by them in Switzerland, France, Holland, and part of Germany, were called the Reformed churches .

The town was one of the strongholds of the Reformed faith. Macaulay.

2. Amended in character and life; as, a reformed gambler or drunkard .

3. (Mil.) Retained in service on half or full pay after the disbandment of the company or troop; -- said of an officer. [Eng.]

Reformer <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"er (r?*f?rm"?r) , n. 1. One who effects a reformation or amendment; one who labors for, or urges, reform; as, a reformer of manners, or of abuses .

2. (Eccl.Hist.) One of those who commenced the reformation of religion in the sixteenth century, as Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, and Calvin.

Reformist <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"ist , n. [Cf. F. r\'82formiste .] A reformer.

Reformly <Xpage=1208>

Re*form"ly , adv. In the manner of a reform; for the purpose of reform. [Obs.]

Milton.

Refortification <Xpage=1208>

Re*for`ti*fi*ca"tion (r?*f?r`t?*f?*k?"sh?n) , n. A fortifying anew, or a second time.

Mitford.

Refortify <Xpage=1208>

Re*for"ti*fy (r?*f?r"t?*f?) , v. t. To fortify anew.

Refossion <Xpage=1208>

Re*fos"sion (r?*f?sh"?n) , n. [L. refodere , refossum , to dig up again. See Fosse .] The act of digging up again. [Obs.]

Bp. Hall.

Refound <Xpage=1208>

Re*found" (r?*found") , v. t. [Pref. re- + found to cast; cf. F. refondare . Cf. Refund .] 1. To found or cast anew. "Ancient bells refounded ."