What does reflector mean?
Word: Reflector
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Reflector means a surface or object that sends back light, heat or sound, such as the red plastic disc on the back of a bicycle.
How do you spell reflector?
Syllables: re - flec - tor
Tricky part: The ending is or, not er. Reflecter is the usual slip, because the last syllable is said so lightly.
Watch out for: reflecter, reflectar
Memory tip: Things that do a job often end in or: a tractor pulls, a radiator heats and a reflector throws back light.
Reflector in a sentence
Example 1: Papa fixed a new reflector to the back of my bicycle.
Example 2: The torch has a shiny reflector behind the bulb to make the beam brighter.
Example 3: A solar cooker uses a large reflector to bounce sunlight onto the pot.
Fun Fact
Isaac Newton built one of the first working reflecting telescopes in 1668, using a curved mirror instead of a lens, and telescopes of this kind are still called reflectors.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the blanks with the correct letters:
r_fl_ctor
a) i, e
b) e, e
c) a, e
d) e, a
Show answer
b) e, e. Both gaps take e: re at the start, as in return, and fle in the middle.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose it:
A dish-shaped oefcerrlt behind the stage lights threw a bright glow across the hall.
a) reflector
b) reflected
c) reflection
d) director
Show answer
a) reflector. Reflected has no o, reflection needs an i and an n, and director has no f.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. microskope 2. telescope 3. lens 4. reflector
a) an instrument that makes tiny things look much bigger
b) a tube that makes distant things look nearer
c) a curved piece of glass that bends light
d) something that sends back light
Show answer
a) an instrument that makes tiny things look much bigger. Microscope spells its 'k' sound with c, just as telescope does.
Word Cookie
One word in this sentence is misspelt. Find it:
On the dark road, the reflector on the bullock cart shone in our headlights and warned Papa to slow down before the narow bridge.
a) narow
b) bullock
c) headlights
d) reflector
Show answer
a) narow. Narrow has a double r, like carrot.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why do joggers often wear jackets with reflector strips at night?
a) to help them run faster
b) to keep them warm
c) so drivers can see them
d) to stop rain getting in
Show answer
c) so drivers can see them
2. Which material makes the best reflector of light?
a) a polished steel plate
b) a sheet of black paper
c) a woollen blanket
d) a rough wooden plank
Show answer
a) a polished steel plate
