refract

verb

Meaning

Change the direction of a wave, such as light or sound, as it passes from one medium into another of a different density.

Glass lenses refract light to focus images onto the retina of the eye.
The pool water refracts the sun's rays, making the bottom appear shallower than it actually is.

Synonyms: bend, deflect, distort, diffract

verb

Pronunciation: rɪˈfrækt

Change the direction of a wave, such as light or sound, as it passes from one medium into another of a different density.

Glass lenses refract light to focus images onto the retina of the eye.
The pool water refracts the sun's rays, making the bottom appear shallower than it actually is.
Atmospheric conditions can refract radio waves, allowing signals to travel far beyond the horizon.

refract light (collocation): the standard scientific action of a lens or medium on light — "The crystal refracts light into a spectrum of colors."
be refracted by (prepositional phrase): passive construction describing the object causing the change — "The signal was refracted by the dense layers of the atmosphere."

Words with a similar meaning to refract: