noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A nonlinear optical effect seen in certain crystals and other materials that respond to light by altering their refractive index. countable, uncountable
2. 2
   The refraction of light, typically within the eye. countable, uncountable

Etymology

From photo- + refraction.

Related phrases

refractive index

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.