The change in direction of a propagating wave (light or sound) when passing from one medium to another.

Roget 443: dim sight, dull sight half sight, short sight, near sight, long sight, double sight, astigmatic sight, failing sight; dimsightedness &c.; purblindness, lippitude^†; myopia, presbyopia^†; confusion of vision; astigmatism; color blindness, chromato pseudo blepsis^†, Daltonism; nyctalopia^†; strabismus, strabism^†, squint; blearedness^†, day blindness, hemeralopia^†, nystagmus; xanthocyanopia^†, xanthopsia [Med.]; cast in the eye, swivel eye, goggle-eyes; obliquity of vision.    winking etc. v.; nictitation; blinkard^†, albino.    dizziness, swimming, scotomy^†; cataract; ophthalmia.    [Limitation of vision] blinker; screen etc. (hider) 530.    [Fallacies of vision] deceptio visus [Lat.]; refraction, distortion, illusion, false light, anamorphosis^†, virtual image, spectrum, mirage, looming, phasma^†; phantasm, phantasma^†, phantom; vision; specter, apparition, ghost; ignis fatuus [Lat.] etc. (luminary) 423; specter of the Brocken; magic mirror; magic lantern etc. (show) 448; mirror lens etc. (instrument) 445.    ... show more

Roget 420: light, ray, beam, stream, gleam, streak, pencil; sunbeam, moonbeam; aurora.    day; sunshine; light of day, light of heaven; moonlight, starlight, sunlight etc. (luminary) 432; daylight, broad daylight, noontide light; noontide, noonday, noonday sun.    glow etc. v.; glimmering etc. v.; glint; play of light, flood of light; phosphorescence, lambent flame.    flush, halo, glory, nimbus, aureola.    spark, scintilla; facula; sparkling etc. v.; emication^†, scintillation, flash, blaze, coruscation, fulguration^†; flame etc. (fire) 382; lightning, levin^†, ignis fatuus [Lat.], etc. (luminary) 423.    luster, sheen, shimmer, reflexion [Brit.], reflection; gloss, tinsel, spangle, brightness, brilliancy, splendor; effulgence, refulgence; fulgor^†, fulgidity^†; dazzlement^†, resplendence, transplendency^†; luminousness etc. adj.; luminosity; lucidity; renitency^†, nitency^†; radiance, radiation; irradiation, illumination.    actinic rays, actinism; Roentgen-ray, Xray; photography, heliography; photometer etc. 445.    [Science of light] optics; photology^†, photometry; dioptrics^†, catoptrics^†.    [Distribution of light] chiaroscuro, clairobscur^†, clear obscure, breadth, light and shade, black and white, tonality.    reflection, refraction, dispersion; refractivity.    ... show more

Dutch: refractie
Polish: refrakcja, niepobudliwość

The amount by which a propagating wave is bent.

synonyms: deflection, deflexion.

Roget 279: deviation; swerving etc. v.; obliquation^†, warp, refraction; flection^†, flexion; sweep; deflection, deflexure^†; declination.    diversion, digression, depart from, aberration; divergence etc. 291; zigzag; detour etc. (circuit) 629; divagation.    [Desultory motion] wandering etc. v.; vagrancy, evagation^†; bypaths and crooked ways; byroad.    [Motion sideways, oblique motion] sidling etc. v.; knight's move at chess.    ... show more

Dutch: refractie, straalbreking