Retroflex (Verb)
Meaning 1
Bend or turn backward.
Classification
Verbs of walking, flying, swimming.
Examples
- Her knees began to retroflex as she tried to fit into the tight space behind the car seat.
- If you retroflex your foot you might be able to manipulate the latch with your toes.
- She had to retroflex her wrist in an awkward angle to reach the hard-to-reach spot.
- When her cat jumps up, it retroflexes its claws for better grip.
- By retroflexing her ankles slightly she managed to slip her shoes back on.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate; "Indian accents can be characterized by the fact that speakers retroflex their consonants".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- Speakers of the Dravidian languages often retroflex their consonants, distinct from the sounds in languages such as English.
- Indian dialects can be identified by the tendency of speakers to retroflex alveolar stops making them sound softer.
- The linguist noticed that her subject retroflexed the consonant in the native tongue of this Indian speaker to create a distinct difference in pronunciation.
- In speech therapy it is sometimes necessary to help people who cannot retroflex, replacing retroflex sounds with dental or alveolar alternatives.
- Unlike dental stops these consonants were clearly retroflexed by Indian speakers of English with a regional accent.