deflect

== English == === Etymology === From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”). === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /dɪˈflɛkt/ Rhymes: -ɛkt === Verb === deflect (third-person singular simple present deflects, present participle deflecting, simple past and past participle deflected) (transitive) To make (something) deviate from its original path or position. (transitive, ball games) To touch the ball, often unwittingly, after a shot or a sharp pass, thereby making it unpredictable for the other players. (intransitive) To deviate from an original path or position. (transitive, figuratively) To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.). Synonym: elude (transitive, figuratively) To divert (attention, etc.). (psychology) To redirect culpability to avoid it. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== deflection ==== Translations ==== === Anagrams === clefted