<adj.pert> the refractive characteristics of the eye
capable of changing the direction (of a light or sound wave)
<adj.all>
Refractive \Re*fract"ive\ (r?*fr?kt"?v), a. [Cf. F. r['e]fractif. See {Refract}.] 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.
{Relative refractive index} (of two media) (Opt.), the ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angle of refraction for a ray passing out of one of the media into the other.
In today's optical cable systems, signals sent by laser light pulses deteriorate over long distances due to the glass fiber's refractive qualities.
That changes the refractive qualities of the crystalline structure, leaving in the crystals a picture of a page of data.
For instance, single refractive lenses typically cause aberrations, such as bending blue light more than red. Engineers traditionally solve the problem in cameras and other devices by adding corrective lenses.