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YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

deflect

Verb

IPA /dɪˈflekt/

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Meaning in plain English

To make something turn away from its original direction.

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Pronunciation

deflect/dɪˈflekt/

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  1. A ball travels towards a barrier

  2. The ball strikes the barrier

  3. It moves in a different direction

To deflect something is to make it change direction.

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Examples in context

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  1. The edge of the table deflected the rolling ball towards the door.
  2. In the demonstration, a barrier deflected the stream of water.

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Which word from this lesson matches this meaning?

To make something turn away from its original direction.
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deflect — To make something turn away from its original direction.

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To make something turn away from its original direction.

Compare: The edge of the table deflected the rolling ball towards the door.

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Word origin

From Latin deflectere, combining de-, away, and flectere, to bend.

Did you know?

Deflect a ball or deflect a flow describes changing its path.

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deflect

/dɪˈflekt/ (Verb)

“This lesson uses the physical sense. The object changes direction; it does not necessarily stop.”

englishskillstudio.com