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Serving or having power to refract, or turn from a direct course; pertaining to refraction; as, refractive surfaces; refractive powers. Refractive index. (Opt.) See Index of refraction, under Index. -- Absolute refractive index (Opt.), the index of refraction of a substances when the ray passes into it from a vacuum.…

a systematic course of diet, etc., pursed with a view to improving or preserving the health, or for the purpose of attaining some particular effect, as a reduction of flesh; -- sometimes used synonymously with hygiene.

A narrow space between the foot of the rampart and the scarp of the ditch, serving to receive the earth that may crumble off or be washed down, and prevent its falling into the ditch. Wilhelm.

Serving or tending to relieve. Relieving arch (Arch.), a discharging arch. See under Discharge, v. t. -- Relieving tackle. (Naut.) (a) A temporary tackle attached to the tiller of a vessel during gales or an action, in case of accident to the tiller ropes. (b) A strong tackle from a wharf to a careened vessel, to prev…

Tending or serving to remind. [R.]

Serving or tending to remit, or to secure remission; remissive. "A sacrifice expiatory or remissory." Latimer.

azine gun, under Magazine. -- Repeating instruments (Astron. & Surv.), instruments for observing angles, as a circle, theodolite, etc., so constructed that the angle may be measured several times in succession, and different, but successive and contiguous, portions of the graduated limb, before reading off the aggrega…

Serving or fitted to present the full characters of the type of a group; typical; as, a representative genus in a family.

Deserving reproach; censurable.

Occasioning or deserving reproach; shameful; base; as, a reproachful life.

Serving, or able, to repulse; repellent; as, a repulsive force. Repulsive of his might the weapon stood. Pope.

The act of reserving, or keeping back; concealment, or withholding from disclosure; reserve. A. Smith. With reservation of an hundred knights. Shak. Make some reservation of your wrongs. Shak.

Tending to reserve or keep; keeping; reserving.

The act of reserving, or keeping back; reservation. However any one may concur in the general scheme, it is still with certain reserves and deviations. Addison.

Serving to resist. B. Jonsosn.

Serving to dissolve or relax. [R.] Johnson.

Worthy of respect; fitted to awaken esteem; deserving regard; hence, of good repute; not mean; as, a respectable citizen. "The respectable quarter of Sicca." J. H. Newman. No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected, without being truly respectable. Madison.

Of or pertaining to respiration; serving for respiration; as, the respiratory organs; respiratory nerves; the respiratory function; respiratory changes. Respiratory foods. (Physiol.) See 2d Note under Food, n., 1. -- Respiratory tree (Zoöl.), the branched internal gill of certain holothurians.

A projection from the right side of the cuirass, serving to support the lance. Their visors closed, their lances in the rest. Dryden.

Serving or tending to restrict; limiting; as, a restrictive particle; restrictive laws of trade.