re|ac´tion|less

re|ac´tion|less: re|ac|tion «ree AK shuhn», noun.

1. a) an action in response to some influence or force: »Our reaction to a joke is to laugh. The doctor observed carefully his patient's reactions to the tests.
b) the response of the body to a test for immunization or the like: »A more general distinction depends on the extent of reaction shown by antiserum prepared against one strain of the virus (A. W. Haslett).
c) the response of a nerve, muscle, or organ to a stimulus: »They were designed to elucidate the reaction of the human body to the various stresses (E. F. Roots).
d) Informal. a response, such as to an idea or plan; attitude; feeling; opinion: »What was his reaction to the plan?

2. an action in the opposite direction: »Fever is a common reaction from a chill.

3. a) a chemical action of two substances on each other which results in the formation of one or more additional substances. The reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen produces ammonia. »Putting an acid and a metal together causes a reaction.
b) the change resulting from such chemical action: »... whether reaction occurs may depend on the timing of internal vibration of each of the molecules (K. D. Wadsworth).

4. a process in which the nucleus of an atom becomes transformed, as in the disintegration of radioactive substances; nuclear reaction: »Reactions of the general type in which one of the two deuteron particles enters the hit nucleus and the other continues on its way (A. W. Haslett).

5. a political tendency toward a previous, usually more conservative, state of affairs.

6. a drop in prices following a rise in prices, as on a stock market.

7. an equal and opposite force which a body exerts against a force that acts upon it: »... in no case is it of importance which of the equal and opposite forces is considered the action and which the reaction (Shortley and Williams).

–re|ac´tion|less, adjective.

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di|rec´tion|less|ly — di|rec|tion|less «duh REHK shuhn lihs, dy », adjective. having no direction: »He writes with the meandering, seemingly directionless flow of much of life itself (Newsweek). –di|rec´tion|less|ly, adverb … Useful english dictionary
di|rec|tion|less — «duh REHK shuhn lihs, dy », adjective. having no direction: »He writes with the meandering, seemingly directionless flow of much of life itself (Newsweek). –di|rec´tion|less|ly, adverb … Useful english dictionary
e|mo|tion|less — «ih MOH shuhn lihs», adjective. without emotion; devoid of feeling or passion: »a cold, emotionless attitude. –e|mo´tion|less|ness, noun … Useful english dictionary
am|bi´tion|less — am|bi|tion «am BIHSH uhn», noun, verb. –n. 1. a strong desire for fame, success, honor, wealth, or other position; seeking after a high position or great power: »Because he was filled with ambition, he worked after school and on Saturdays.… … Useful english dictionary
com|punc´tion|less — com|punc|tion «kuhm PUHNGK shuhn», noun. 1. uneasiness of the mind because of wrongdoing; pricking of the conscience; regret; remorse: »He had no compunction about having eaten up a whole box of cookies. …a remorse and compunction for former sins … Useful english dictionary
tra|di´tion|less — tra|di|tion «truh DIHSH uhn», noun. 1. the handing down of beliefs, opinions, customs, and stories, such as from parents to children, especially by word of mouth or by practice: »She has been bred up…by a very worldly family, and taught their… … Useful english dictionary
af|fec|tion|less — «uh FEHK shuhn lihs», adjective. deprived of affection: »an affectionless youngster. Children from affectionless and disrupted homes are disproportionately involved in crime and delinquency (Morris and Hawkins) … Useful english dictionary
in|flec|tion|less — «ihn FLEHK shuhn lihs», adjective. without inflection … Useful english dictionary
va|ca|tion|less — «vay KAY shuhn lihs», adjective. without a vacation … Useful english dictionary
vi|bra|tion|less — «vy BRAY shuhn lihs», adjective. free from vibration … Useful english dictionary

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