n. Lack of reflection. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not reflective. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. not capable of total reflection of light; not polished or shiny; as, It is complicated to create realistic shading effects on nonreflecting surfaces. [ Narrower terms: echoless ] reflective [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Reflected; p. pr. & vb. n. Reflecting. ] [ L. reflectere, reflexum; pref. re- re- + flectere to bend or turn. See Flexible, and cf. Reflex, v. ] 1. To bend back; to give a backwa&unr_;d turn to; to throw back; especially, to cause to return after striking upon any surface; as, a mirror reflects rays of light; polished metals reflect heat. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let me mind the reader to reflect his eye on our quotations. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bodies close together reflect their own color. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give back an image or likeness of; to mirror. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nature is the glass reflecting God,
As by the sea reflected is the sun. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To throw back light, heat, or the like; to return rays or beams. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be sent back; to rebound as from a surface; to revert; to return. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whose virtues will, I hope,
Reflect on Rome, as Titan's rays on earth. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

As I much reflected, much I mourned. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To cast reproach; to cause censure or dishonor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Errors of wives reflect on husbands still. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither do I reflect in the least upon the memory of his late majesty. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To consider; think; cogitate; mediate; contemplate; ponder; muse; ruminate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Thrown back after striking a surface; as, reflected light, heat, sound, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: Not one's own; received from another; as, his glory was reflected glory. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Bent backward or outward; reflexed. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Reflecting; as, a reflectent body. Sir K. Digby. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being reflected, or thrown back; reflexible. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Throwing back light, heat, etc., as a mirror or other surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Given to reflection or serious consideration; reflective; contemplative; as, a reflecting mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With reflection; also, with censure; reproachfully. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. reflexio: cf. F. réflexion. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

The eye sees not itself,
But by reflection, by some other things. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

This delight grows and improves under thought and reflection. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Shining; brightness, as of the sun. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is produced by reflection. Specifically: (a) An image given back from a reflecting surface; a reflected counterpart. [ 1913 Webster ]

As the sun water we can bear,
Yet not the sun, but his reflection, there. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

(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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Job's reflections on his once flourishing estate did at the same time afflict and encourage him. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Censure; reproach cast. [ 1913 Webster ]

He died; and oh! may no reflection shed
Its poisonous venom on the royal dead. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Meditation; contemplation; rumination; cogitation; consideration; musing; thinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. réflectif. Cf. Reflexive. ] 1. Throwing back images; as, a reflective mirror. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the reflective stream the sighing bride, viewing her charms. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Capable of exercising thought or judgment; as, reflective reason. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

His perceptive and reflective faculties . . . thus acquired a precocious and extraordinary development. Motley. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Addicted to introspective or meditative habits; as, a reflective person. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Gram.) Reflexive; reciprocal. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Re*flect"ive*ly, adv. -- Re*flect"ive*ness, n. “Reflectiveness of manner.” J. C. Shairp. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. réflecteur. ] 1. One who, or that which, reflects. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The reflection of a reflected image or sound. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]