rĕ-flecto, xi, xum, 3, v. a. and n.
I Act. , to bend or turn back or backwards; to turn about or away (class.).
A Lit.: caudam canum degeneres sub alvum reflectunt, Plin. 11, 50, 111, § 265; 11, 37, 78, § 199: caput leviter, Cat. 45, 10: pedem inde (sc. ex Labyrintho) sospes, id. 64, 112; cf.: gressum, to go back , return . Sen. Thyest. 428: cursum subito ad Contrebiam, Val. Max. 7, 4, 5 fin. : colla, Verg. A. 11, 622: oculos, Ov. M. 7, 341; cf.: visus, Val. Fl. 5, 455. — Part. perf. : (elephantorum) dentes reflexi, tusks . Plin. 11, 37, 62, § 165; so, cornu (with adunco aere), Sen. Oedip. 731: cornicula (scarabaei), Plin. 30, 11, 30, § 100: cervix. Verg. A. 10, 535; Ov. A. A. 3, 779: Stat. Ach. 1, 382. — Mid.: illam tereti cervice reflexam, bending herself back, Verg. A. 8, 633; cf.: telum reflexum, Sil. 16, 54; and poet.: (Ascalaphus) in caput crescit, longosque reflectitur ungues, he bends himself back into long claws , i. e. his nails are bent back and lengthened into claws , Ov. M. 5, 547. —
B Trop., to turn back , bring back : quem neque fides, neque jusjurandum ... Repressit neque reflexit, * Ter. Ad. 307; cf.: nonnumquam animum incitatum ad ulciscendam orationem tuam revoco ipse et reflecto, Cic. Sull. 16, 46: quibus (causis) mentes aut incitantur aut reflectuntur, id. de Or. 1, 12, 53: aliquem, Sen. Agam. 155: animum reflexi, i. e. I reflected within myself , Verg. A. 2, 741; cf.: mentem ad Romanam urbem, Mamert. Grat. Act. 14: in melius tua, qui potes, orsa reflectas! change , alter , Verg. A. 10, 632; to reverse a proposition or inference: reflexim inferre, Ap. Dogm. Plat. 3, p. 36, 5; cf. Mart. Cap. 4, § 411. — *
II Neutr. , to bend or turn back; trop., to give way , yield : ubi jam morbi reflexit causa, Lucr. 3, 502.