deflection — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The act of deflecting or something deflected.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Russell's goalbound shot took a deflection off a defender and went out for a corner.

   The next morning Oswald stopped short in the middle of his shaving, which in his case involved the most tortuous deflections and grimacings.

2. Deviation (of a needle or other indicator or mechanism) from a previous position.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   At about the time that #1 tyre failed, the Flight Data Recorder shows right rudder deflection. This may have been applied to correct a yaw to the left. (Traces of the left main gear on the runway show that the nose wheels were to the right of the centreline and never crossed it.) About 500 metres from the threshold, the inner wheels of the left main gear bogie had closed from about 2 1⁄2 metres to about one metre to the left of the centreline; this may have been because of over-correction for a tendency to yaw to the left or weather-cocking because of the surface wind. Whatever the reason, the actual deviation would probably have been considered insignificant to the cockpit crew.

3. The act of refusing to address something (questions, criticism, etc.).

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Figurative
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   “‘I’m focused on the future’ is one of the most generic store-brand fuckboy deflections there is,” Oliver fumed.

4. The act of rejecting culpability by redirecting blame elsewhere.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

5. Bending or deformation under load.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   The structure was examined and passed by the Board of Trade in February, 1890, after it had been tested with two trains of 50 loaded wagons, each hauled by two engines, and pushed by a third. The trains ran side by side, and their combined weight, including the six engines, was 1,800 tons. The deflections of the girders were precisely in accordance with the calculations of the engineers.

   Tyre design deflection profile under load is about a one-third reduction in tyre section radius. If the tyre is overloaded, over-deflection will occur. Over-deflection results in a larger heat increase than would be expected from under-inflation. If one of a pair of tyres on the same axle is under-inflated, the other tyre may be overloaded.

6. A tactic that forces an opposing piece to leave the square, rank or file it occupies, thus exposing the king or a valuable piece

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Noun

1. a twist or aberration; especially a perverse or abnormal way of judging or acting

   Synonyms

   warp

   Broader terms

   aberranceaberrancyaberrationdeviance

2. the amount by which a propagating wave is bent

   Synonyms

   deflexionrefraction

   Broader terms

   bendingbend

3. the movement of the pointer or pen of a measuring instrument from its zero position

   Synonyms

   deflexion

   Broader terms

   movementmotion

4. the property of being bent or deflected

   Synonyms

   deflexionbending

   Broader terms

   physical property

5. a turning aside (of your course or attention or concern)

   Synonyms

   diversiondeviationdigressiondeflexiondivagation

   Broader terms

   turnturning

   Examples

   a diversion from the main highway

   a digression into irrelevant details

   More examples (1)

   a deflection from his goal