reflex
/ˈriːfleks/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈriːfleks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈrē-ˌfleks/ (ame, mw) · /ˈriː.fleks/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈriː.fleks/ (ame, ipa)
reflex — 名詞
- reflexsingular
- reflexesplural
1. An automatic body response to something that happens, such as a tap just below t
反射動作
身體對刺激的不自覺反應
An automatic body response to something that happens, such as a tap just below the knee making the lower leg kick forward, which happens without conscious thought.
During the check-up, Dr. Okafor tapped Noor's knee with a small hammer to test her reflex.
健康檢查時，Okafor 醫師用小錘子輕敲 Noor 的膝蓋來測試她的反射動作。
stimulus-response pattern: tap knee → leg kick
Pulling your hand from a hot stove is an automatic reflex that protects you from burns.
手從熱爐子上縮回，是一種保護你不被燙傷的自動反射動作。
The doctor shone a bright light into Sora's eyes to check whether her pupil reflex was working normally.
醫師用強光照 Sora 的眼睛，檢查她的瞳孔反射是否正常運作。
Blinking when something flies toward your face is a natural reflex that most people have.
有東西飛向臉部時眨眼，是多數人都有的自然反射動作。
When the nurse touched the back of Imani's throat with a swab, her gag reflex made her cough.
當護理人員用棉花棒碰觸 Imani 的喉嚨後方時，她的嘔吐反射讓她咳了起來。
- instinct
broader — instinct covers complex behaviors (nest-building, migration), while reflex refers only to simple physical responses
- involuntary response
more formal and descriptive; less common in everyday speech
- voluntary action
an action you decide to do on purpose, the opposite of an automatic reflex
文法句型
reflex + to + stimulus
possessive + reflex
用法筆記
Commonly followed by the preposition 'to' to name the stimulus — for example, a reflex to light or a reflex to sound. Also appears in compound terms naming specific body reflexes, such as knee-jerk reflex, pupil reflex, and gag reflex.
常見錯誤
2. The natural speed with which a person responds physically or mentally to somethi
反應力
快速應對突發狀況的能力
The natural speed with which a person responds physically or mentally to something sudden or unexpected — for example, catching a falling object or swerving to avoid a car.
Ravindra's quick reflexes helped him catch the falling glass before it hit the kitchen floor.
Ravindra 快速的反應力讓他在玻璃杯落地前就接住了它。
collocation: quick reflexes
Top tennis players need excellent reflexes to return serves that travel very fast.
頂尖網球選手需要極佳的反應力，才能回擊速度很快的發球。
collocation: excellent reflexes
Maeve practises racing games every day to sharpen her reflexes and hand-eye coordination.
Maeve 每天練習賽車遊戲，來鍛鍊她的反應力和手眼協調能力。
Driving in heavy rain demands good reflexes because the car ahead may brake without warning.
在大雨中開車需要良好的反應力，因為前車可能毫無預警地煞車。
- reaction time
more specific — measures the exact time interval; reflexes is broader and more natural in everyday speech
- quickness
general term for speed; less specific to responding to events
文法句型
possessive + reflexes
good/quick/lightning + reflexes
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the plural form 'reflexes' when referring to a person's general ability to react quickly. The singular 'reflex' in this sense is rare and usually occurs in set phrases like 'a lightning reflex'.
常見錯誤
3. A modern word or sound that has developed from a specific word or sound in an ol
演變形式
從早期語言衍生而來的詞語
A modern word or sound that has developed from a specific word or sound in an older form of the same language or a parent language.
Yael pointed at the whiteboard, showing how Latin 'lac' became Spanish 'leche' over time.
Yael 指著白板，解釋拉丁語的「lac」如何隨著時間演變成西班牙語的「leche」。
pattern: reflex of [source language word]
Ryo flipped through an Old English dictionary to find the reflex of the modern word 'loaf'.
Ryo 翻閱一本古英語詞典，尋找現代詞語「loaf」的演變形式。
Gabriela raised her hand in class to ask whether French 'père' is a reflex of a Latin word.
Gabriela 在課堂上舉手提問，法語的「père」是否為某個拉丁詞語的演變形式。
Ishaan traced the word 'brother' through three old manuscripts in the university archive.
Ishaan 在大學檔案館裡，透過三份古老手稿追溯「brother」這個詞的演變來源。
- descendant
more general term for anything that develops from an earlier form; less technical than reflex
- derivative
broader — can refer to words formed by adding affixes, not just historical development
- ancestor
the earlier word from which a reflex develops
文法句型
reflex + of + source language word
用法筆記
A technical term in historical linguistics. The source language is usually specified after the preposition 'of'. Contrast with 'cognate', which refers to related words in sister languages that share a common ancestor rather than one deriving from the other.
reflex — 形容詞
- reflexpositive
- more reflexcomparative
- most reflexsuperlative
1. Describes an angle that is larger than a straight line (180°) but smaller than a
優角的
大於180度小於360度的角
Describes an angle that is larger than a straight line (180°) but smaller than a full circle (360°).
Linh used a protractor to measure the 210-degree reflex angle on her woodworking plan.
Linh 用量角器測量她木工設計圖上那個210度的優角。
geometry tool: protractor + reflex angle
Benjamin drew a reflex angle of 230 degrees for his geometry homework last night.
Benjamin 昨晚在幾何作業中畫了一個230度的優角。
geometry term: reflex angle + degree measurement
When the clock reads 7 o'clock, the minute hand and the hour hand form a reflex angle.
時鐘指向7點時，分針和時針形成一個優角。
The teacher asked Zola to find the reflex angle among the three shapes on the worksheet.
老師請 Zola 在工作表上的三個形狀中找出哪一個是優角。
- acute
an angle smaller than 90°, the opposite end of the angle-size spectrum
文法句型
reflex angle
be + reflex
用法筆記
Used only as an attributive adjective before 'angle' (reflex angle) or after a linking verb with 'angle' as the subject (This angle is reflex). Beyond geometry, this adjective form is not used.
常見錯誤
2. Happening as an immediate, unthinking physical or mental response rather than th
反射性的
未經思考而自動做出的
Happening as an immediate, unthinking physical or mental response rather than through conscious choice — for example, jerking your hand away from a hot surface before you feel the pain.
Obi's reflex action was to grab the toddler's arm before she ran into the busy street.
Obi 的反射性動作是在小女孩跑進繁忙的馬路前抓住她的手臂。
collocation: reflex action
The driver's reflex response to the deer in the road was to hit the brakes without thinking.
駕駛看到路上的鹿時，反射性的反應是未經思考就踩下煞車。
collocation: reflex response
Saira's reflex move of covering her face with both hands protected her eyes from the dust cloud.
Saira 反射性地用雙手遮住臉，讓她的眼睛免於受到塵雲的傷害。
A reflex cough or a sneeze can spread germs to other people in the same room.
反射性的咳嗽或打噴嚏會將細菌傳播給同一個房間裡的人。
João jumped back in a reflex movement when the wasp flew close to his face.
當黃蜂飛近 João 的臉時，他反射性地向後跳了一步。
- automatic
more common and broader in use; 'automatic' can describe machines, while 'reflex' is limited to living beings' responses
- involuntary
more formal; used in medical and scientific writing about muscle movements
- instinctive
suggests a deeper behavioral drive rather than a simple physical response
- voluntary
describes an action done by conscious choice, the opposite of a reflex action
- deliberate
suggests careful thought before acting
文法句型
reflex + action/response/reaction
用法筆記
Used only before a noun — you can say 'a reflex action' but not 'His action was reflex'. The noun sense 1 (INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENT) conveys a similar meaning but focuses on the physiological mechanism rather than describing the quality of an action.