Reflection

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Reflection \Re*flec"tion\ (r?*fl?k"sh?n), n. [L. reflexio: cf.
     F. r['e]flexion. See {Riflect}.] [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.


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                  The eye sees not itself,
                  But by reflection, by some other things. --Shak.
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        (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.
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                  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.
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                  This delight grows and improves under thought
                  and reflection.                   --South.
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     2. Shining; brightness, as of the sun. [Obs.] --Shak.
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     3. That which is produced by reflection. Specifically:
        (a) An image given back from a reflecting surface; a
            reflected counterpart.
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                  As the sun water we can bear,
                  Yet not the sun, but his reflection, there.
                                                    --Dryden.
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        (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.
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                  Job's reflections on his once flourishing estate
                  did at the same time afflict and encourage him.
                                                    --Atterbury.
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     4. Censure; reproach cast.
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              He died; and oh! may no reflection shed
              Its poisonous venom on the royal dead. --Prior.
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     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}.
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     {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}.
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     Syn: Meditation; contemplation; rumination; cogitation;
          consideration; musing; thinking.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Angle \An"gle\ ([a^][ng]"g'l), n. [F. angle, L. angulus angle,
     corner; akin to uncus hook, Gr. 'agky`los bent, crooked,
     angular, 'a`gkos a bend or hollow, AS. angel hook, fish-hook,
     G. angel, and F. anchor.]
     1. The inclosed space near the point where two lines meet; a
        corner; a nook.
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              Into the utmost angle of the world.   --Spenser.
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              To search the tenderest angles of the heart.
                                                    --Milton.
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     2. (Geom.)
        (a) The figure made by. two lines which meet.
        (b) The difference of direction of two lines. In the lines
            meet, the point of meeting is the vertex of the angle.
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     3. A projecting or sharp corner; an angular fragment.
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              Though but an angle reached him of the stone.
                                                    --Dryden.
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     4. (Astrol.) A name given to four of the twelve astrological
        "houses." [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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     5. [AS. angel.] A fishhook; tackle for catching fish,
        consisting of a line, hook, and bait, with or without a
        rod.
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              Give me mine angle: we 'll to the river there.
                                                    --Shak.
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              A fisher next his trembling angle bears. --Pope.
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     {Acute angle}, one less than a right angle, or less than
        90[deg].
  
     {Adjacent} or {Contiguous angles}, such as have one leg
        common to both angles.
  
     {Alternate angles}. See {Alternate}.
  
     {Angle bar}.
        (a) (Carp.) An upright bar at the angle where two faces of
            a polygonal or bay window meet. --Knight.
        (b) (Mach.) Same as {Angle iron}.
  
     {Angle bead} (Arch.), a bead worked on or fixed to the angle
        of any architectural work, esp. for protecting an angle of
        a wall.
  
     {Angle brace}, {Angle tie} (Carp.), a brace across an
        interior angle of a wooden frame, forming the hypothenuse
        and securing the two side pieces together. --Knight.
  
     {Angle iron} (Mach.), a rolled bar or plate of iron having
        one or more angles, used for forming the corners, or
        connecting or sustaining the sides of an iron structure to
        which it is riveted.
  
     {Angle leaf} (Arch.), a detail in the form of a leaf, more or
        less conventionalized, used to decorate and sometimes to
        strengthen an angle.
  
     {Angle meter}, an instrument for measuring angles, esp. for
        ascertaining the dip of strata.
  
     {Angle shaft} (Arch.), an enriched angle bead, often having a
        capital or base, or both.
  
     {Curvilineal angle}, one formed by two curved lines.
  
     {External angles}, angles formed by the sides of any
        right-lined figure, when the sides are produced or
        lengthened.
  
     {Facial angle}. See under {Facial}.
  
     {Internal angles}, those which are within any right-lined
        figure.
  
     {Mixtilineal angle}, one formed by a right line with a curved
        line.
  
     {Oblique angle}, one acute or obtuse, in opposition to a
        right angle.
  
     {Obtuse angle}, one greater than a right angle, or more than
        90[deg].
  
     {Optic angle}. See under {Optic}.
  
     {Rectilineal} or {Right-lined angle}, one formed by two right
        lines.
  
     {Right angle}, one formed by a right line falling on another
        perpendicularly, or an angle of 90[deg] (measured by a
        quarter circle).
  
     {Solid angle}, the figure formed by the meeting of three or
        more plane angles at one point.
  
     {Spherical angle}, one made by the meeting of two arcs of
        great circles, which mutually cut one another on the
        surface of a globe or sphere.
  
     {Visual angle}, the angle formed by two rays of light, or two
        straight lines drawn from the extreme points of an object
        to the center of the eye.
  
     {For Angles of commutation}, {draught}, {incidence},
     {reflection}, {refraction}, {position}, {repose}, {fraction},
        see {Commutation}, {Draught}, {Incidence}, {Reflection},
        {Refraction}, etc.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  reflection
       n 1: a calm lengthy intent consideration [syn: {contemplation}, {reflexion},
             {rumination}, {musing}, {thoughtfulness}]
       2: the phenomenon of a propagating wave (light or sound) being
          thrown back from a surface [syn: {reflexion}]
       3: expression without words; "tears are an expression of
          grief"; "the pulse is a reflection of the heart's
          condition" [syn: {expression}, {manifestation}, {reflexion}]
       4: the image of something as reflected by a mirror (or other
          reflective material); "he studied his reflection in the
          mirror" [syn: {reflexion}]
       5: a likeness in which left and right are reversed [syn: {mirror
          image}, {reflexion}]
       6: (mathematics) a transformation in which the direction of one
          axis is reversed
       7: a remark expressing careful consideration [syn: {observation},
           {reflexion}]
       8: the ability to reflect beams or rays [syn: {reflexion}, {reflectivity}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  322 Moby Thesaurus words for "reflection":
     CRT spot, DM display, Doppler signal, IF signal, IM display,
     Parthian shot, RF echoes, S-curve, action and reaction, address,
     adumbration, adverse criticism, advisement, affirmation, albedo,
     allegation, animadversion, answer, apostrophe, apprehension,
     aspersion, assault, assertion, attack, attaint, automatic reaction,
     autonomic reaction, averment, bad notices, bad press,
     badge of infamy, bar sinister, baton, beam, beat signal, bend,
     bend sinister, bending, black eye, black mark, blink, blips, blot,
     blur, bounceback, bounces, bow, bowing, brainwork, brand,
     broad arrow, brooding, captiousness, carping, cavil, caviling,
     censoriousness, censure, cerebration, champain, circumspection,
     circumspectness, cogitation, comment, commitment to memory,
     companion, conceit, concept, conception, conflexure, consideration,
     contemplation, cool judgment, copy, corroboration, counsel, crack,
     criticism, dead ringer, declaration, deflection, deliberating,
     deliberation, depreciation, derogation, dictum, discreetness,
     discretion, discrimination, disparagement, display, double,
     double-dot display, duplicate, echo, echo signal, effect, effigy,
     evidence, exact likeness, exception, exclamation,
     exercise of memory, expression, fancy, faultfinding, fellow, flak,
     flashback, flection, flex, flexure, geanticline, geosyncline,
     good judgment, greeting, hairpin turn, hairsplitting, hindsight,
     hit, home thrust, hostile criticism, hypercriticalness,
     hypercriticism, ice sky, iceblink, icon, idea, idol, image, imago,
     impression, imputation, incident light, inflection, innuendo,
     insinuation, intellectual object, interjection, judgment,
     judiciousness, knock, learning by heart, likeness, living image,
     living picture, local oscillator signal, looking back, lucubration,
     mark, mark of Cain, match, mate, meander, meditating, meditation,
     memoir, memorization, memorizing, memory-trace, mental image,
     mental impression, mention, miniature, mirroring, model, musing,
     nagging, niggle, niggling, nit, nit-picking, note, notion, obloquy,
     observation, onset, onslaught, onus, opinion, outline,
     output signal, overcriticalness, oxbow, perception,
     personal remark, personality, pestering, pettifogging, photograph,
     phrase, picture, pillorying, pips, point champain, policy, polity,
     pondering, portrait, position, predictable response, priggishness,
     pronouncement, proof, providence, prudence, prudentialism,
     question, quibble, quibbling, radar signal, rap, reaction, reading,
     recall, recalling, recept, recollecting, recollection,
     reconsideration, reflectance, reflectiveness, reflex,
     reflex action, refluence, reflux, remark, remembering, remembrance,
     reminiscence, reply, representation, reprimand, reproach,
     reproachfulness, resemblance, respondence, response, result,
     retroaction, retrospect, retrospection, return, return signal,
     reverberation, review, revolving, revulsion, rise, rote,
     rote memory, rubbing, rumination, say, saying, semblance, sentence,
     sentiment, shadow, sign, signal, signal display, silhouette,
     similitude, simulacrum, slam, slur, sly suggestion, smear, smirch,
     smudge, smutch, snowblink, sound judgment, soundness of judgment,
     speculation, spit and image, spitting image, spot, stain,
     statement, stigma, stigmatism, stigmatization, stricture, study,
     subjoinder, substantiation, suggestion, supposition, sweep, swipe,
     symbol, taint, taking exception, target image, tarnish, testament,
     testimony, theory, thinking, thought, thoughtfulness, token, trace,
     tracing, transmitter signal, trichoschistism, turn, turning, twin,
     uncomplimentary remark, unthinking response, utterance, very image,
     very picture, video signal, water sky, waterblink, weighing,
     whispering campaign, word
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  REFLECTION, n.  An action of the mind whereby we obtain a clearer view
  of our relation to the things of yesterday and are able to avoid the
  perils that we shall not again encounter.