refractor

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

English refract

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin -ātor

Old French -eorbor.

Middle English -our

▲

Latin -torlbor.

English -or

English refractor

From refract + -or.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfɹæktə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æktə(ɹ)

Noun

refractor (plural refractors)

1. A refracting telescope.
2. anything which refracts light, heat or sound

Derived terms

• autorefractor
• Galilean refractor
• photorefractor

See also

• reflector

Interlingua

Noun

refractor (plural refractores)

1. refractor

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French réfracteur or German Refraktor.

Noun

refractor n (plural refractoare)

1. refractor

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	refractor	refractorul	refractoare	refractoarele
genitive-dative	refractor	refractorului	refractoare	refractoarelor
vocative	refractorule		refractoarelor

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Spanish refractar

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Spanish -or

Spanish refractor

From refractar + -or.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /refɾaɡˈtoɾ/ [re.fɾaɣ̞ˈt̪oɾ]
• Rhymes: -oɾ
• Syllabification: re‧frac‧tor

Adjective

refractor (feminine refractora, masculine plural refractores, feminine plural refractoras)

1. refracting

Noun

refractor m (plural refractores)

1. refractor

Further reading

• “refractor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), 24th edition, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 30 October 2026