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de·flec·tion (dĭ-flĕkshən)
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n.
1.
a. The act of deflecting or the condition of being deflected.
b. Sports A shot or pass that is sent without stopping in a different direction by a second offensive player.
2.
a. Deviation or a specified amount of deviation.
b. The deviation of an indicator of a measuring instrument from zero or from its normal position.
c. The movement of a structure or structural part as a result of stress.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.