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Today it means

deflect

to cause something to turn aside from its original course

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Where does the word "deflect" come from? It comes from Latin deflectere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

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Where does the word "deflect" come from? It comes from Latin deflectere, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Deflect’s story begins in Latin: deflectere meant “to bend away.” To bend away, from de- (away) and flectere (to bend). It reached English by 1500s as deflect. Settled as the English word for causing something to change direction. Today, deflect means to cause something to turn aside from its original course.

  1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient deflectere "to bend away", to bend away, from de- (away) and flectere (to bend).
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s deflect "to cause something to change direction", settled as the English word for causing something to change direction.

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