deflection

Noun

deflection (countable and uncountable, plural deflections)

1. The act of deflecting or something deflected.
   • Russell's goalbound shot took a deflection off a defender and went out for a corner.
   • The next morning Oswald stopped short in the middle of his shaving, which in his case involved the most tortuous deflections and grimacings.1918, H. G. Wells, Joan and Peter
2. Deviation (of a needle or other indicator or mechanism) from a previous position.
   • At about the time that #1 tyre failed, the Flight Data Recorder shows right rudder deflection. This may have been applied to correct a yaw to the left. (Traces of the left main gear on the runway show that the nose wheels were to the right of the centreline and never crossed it.) About 500 metres...1993 June, Presidency of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, “2.7.2 Take-Off”, in McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-61, C-GMXQ, accident at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia...
3. (figuratively) The act of refusing to address something (questions, criticism, etc.).
   • “‘I’m focused on the future’ is one of the most generic store-brand fuckboy deflections there is,” Oliver fumed.2024 October 7, John Oliver, quotee, “John Oliver on VP debate’s ‘civility’: ‘Etiquette is kind of beside the point’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
4. The act of rejecting culpability by redirecting blame elsewhere.
5. Bending or deformation under load.
   • The structure was examined and passed by the Board of Trade in February, 1890, after it had been tested with two trains of 50 loaded wagons, each hauled by two engines, and pushed by a third. The trains ran side by side, and their combined weight, including the six engines, was 1,800 tons. The...1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 148
   • Tyre design deflection profile under load is about a one-third reduction in tyre section radius. If the tyre is overloaded, over-deflection will occur. Over-deflection results in a larger heat increase than would be expected from under-inflation. If one of a pair of tyres on the same axle is...1993 June, Presidency of Civil Aviation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, “2.4 Tyre Failure”, in McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-61, C-GMXQ, accident at King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi...
6. A tactic that forces an opposing piece to leave the square, rank or file it occupies, thus exposing the king or a valuable piece