reflection

• reflexion

From Middle French reflexion, reflection, and its source Late Latin reflexio, from the participle stem of reflectere. The current spelling is influenced by reflect.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈflɛkʃ(ə)n/

• Audio (US)

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• Hyphenation: ref‧lex‧ion
• Rhymes: -ɛkʃən

A water reflection - meanings 2 and 3

reflection (countable and uncountable, plural reflections)

1. The act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. The property of a propagated wave being thrown back from a surface (such as a mirror).
3. Something, such as an image, that is reflected.

   The dog barked at his own reflection in the mirror.

4. Careful thought or consideration.

   After careful reflection, I have decided not to vote for that proposition.

   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

     But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.

5. An implied criticism.

   It is a reflection on his character that he never came back to see them.

6. (computing) The process or mechanism of determining the capabilities of an object at run-time.
7. (anatomy) The folding of a part; a fold.

• reflect
• reflective
• reflector

• refraction
• diffraction