rĕ-flecto — Lewis & Short
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. Achill. 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. 3, 2, 9; 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,App. 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.