/ ˈretrəfleks; NAmE / adjective
1.
( medical ) ( of a part of the body ) turned backwards
2.
( phonetics ) ( of a speech sound ) produced with the end of the tongue turned up against the hard palate
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WORD ORIGIN
late 18th cent.: from Latin retroflex- bent backwards, from the verb retroflectere , from retro backwards + flectere to bend.