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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Reflex action

Reflex \Re"flex\ (r?"fl?ks), a. [L. reflexus, p. p. of reflectere: cf. F. r['e]flexe. See Reflect.]

  1. Directed back; attended by reflection; retroactive; introspective.

    The reflex act of the soul, or the turning of the intellectual eye inward upon its own actions.
    --Sir M. Hale.

  2. Produced in reaction, in resistance, or in return.

  3. (Physiol.) Of, pertaining to, or produced by, stimulus or excitation without the necessary intervention of consciousness.

    Reflex action (Physiol.), any action performed involuntarily in consequence of an impulse or impression transmitted along afferent nerves to a nerve center, from which it is reflected to an efferent nerve, and so calls into action certain muscles, organs, or cells.

    Reflex nerve (Physiol.), an excito-motory nerve. See Exito-motory.

Usage examples of "reflex action".

These plants exhibit still more plainly their inferiority to animals in the absence of any reflex action, except in so far as the glands of Drosera, when excited from a distance, send back some influence which causes the contents of the cells to become aggregated down to the bases of the tentacles.

So, if we lift a leg in sudden reflex action because we have stepped on a sharp pebble on the beach, we do not usually fall over, as we might expect to since our weight is suddenly unbalanced.

If that weapon is handled in a threatening manner, that action will set off an automatic Battle Reflex action.

The ancient was still rattling his can at the end of his stick, a purely reflex action for there was no one about that night, not even the doorman, who had either been driven inside by the rain or was a music-lover.

Tom flung his hand up in a reflex action, even though there was nearly a thousand yards of space and a quarter-inch of armor plate between him and the holocaust that followed.

A good CO will try to make us fully commit whether he figures he can stop us or not, almost by reflex action.

It was completely automatic after so many years, and Paul smiled at the sheer reflex action.

The second terrorist turned his head in a reflex action toward his dead comrade.

Her stomach sucked into a hollow the moment the gag was in place, and he laid a hand on her rib cage and pushed hard to counter the reflex action to vomit.