retroflex

ret·ro·flex

 (rĕt′rə-flĕks′)

adj. also ret·ro·flexed (-flĕkst′)

1. Bent, curved, or turned backward.

2. Pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned back against the roof of the mouth.

n.

A sound pronounced with the tongue in retroflex position, as the sound (r) in some varieties of English.

---

[Latin *retrōflexus, past participle of retrōflectere, to bend back : retrō, retro- + flectere, to bend.]

---

ret′ro·flex′ion, ret′ro·flec′tion n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

retroflex

(ˈrɛtrəʊˌflɛks) or

retroflexed

adj

1. bent or curved backwards

2. (Phonetics & Phonology) phonetics of, relating to, or involving retroflexion

[C18: from Latin retrōflexus, from retrōflectere, from retro- + flectere to bend]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ret•ro•flex

(ˈrɛ trəˌflɛks)

adj.

1. bent backward; exhibiting retroflexion.

2. (of a speech sound) articulated with the tip of the tongue curled upward and back toward or against the hard palate.

[1910–15; < Latin retrōflexus, past participle of retrōflectere to bend back]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	retroflex - bend or turn backward replicate bend, flex - form a curve; "The stick does not bend"
	2.	retroflex - articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate; "Indian accents can be characterized by the fact that speakers retroflex their consonants" enounce, enunciate, pronounce, sound out, articulate, say - speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way; "She pronounces French words in a funny way"; "I cannot say `zip wire'"; "Can the child sound out this complicated word?"
Adj.	1.	retroflex - bent or curved backward retroflexed backward - directed or facing toward the back or rear; "a backward view"
	2.	retroflex - pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned back toward the hard palate cacuminal linguistics - the scientific study of language backward - directed or facing toward the back or rear; "a backward view"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

rétroflexe

retroflex

[ˈretrəʊfleks] ADJ → vuelto hacia atrás

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005