Refractive

2 definitions found

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

  Refractive \Re*fract"ive\ (r?*fr?kt"?v), a. [Cf. F.
     r['e]fractif. See {Refract}.]
     Serving or having power to refract, or turn from a direct
     course; pertaining to refraction; as, refractive surfaces;
     refractive powers.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     {Refractive index}. (Opt.) See {Index of refraction}, under
        {Index}.
  
     {Absolute refractive index} (Opt.), the index of refraction
        of a substances when the ray passes into it from a vacuum.
        
  
     {Relative refractive index} (of two media) (Opt.), the ratio
        of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the
        angle of refraction for a ray passing out of one of the
        media into the other.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  refractive
       adj 1: of or relating to or capable of refraction; "the refractive
              characteristics of the eye" [syn: {refractile}]
       2: capable of changing the direction (of a light or sound wave)
          [syn: {deflective}]