Definition of "deflection" []

• The act of deflecting or the condition of being deflected. (noun)
• Deviation or a specified amount of deviation. (noun)
• The deviation of an indicator of a measuring instrument from zero or from its normal position. (noun)
• The movement of a structure or structural part as a result of stress. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The perceptual puzzle arises because the deflection is actually gradual but is often perceived as an abrupt change in direction (the break)."
• "Also the deflection is linearly proportional to F: the higher the force, the more bending."
• "Finally, the deflection is proportional to the cube of R, which is the real killer for deflection."