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ret·ro·flex

(rĕtrə-flĕks′)

adj. also ret·ro·flexed (-flĕkst′)

1. Bent, curved, or turned backward.

2. Pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned back against the roof of the mouth.

A sound pronounced with the tongue in retroflex position, as the sound (r) in some varieties of English.

[Latin *retrōflexus, past participle of retrōflectere, to bend back : retrō, retro- + flectere, to bend.]

ret′ro·flexion, ret′ro·flection n.

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.

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