[soperj]

Deflect is to change direction. It's why you can deflect a puck in hockey into the net. Don't know why people keep reading it as a negative.

[jws]

Deflect most often is used in a sense of deflecting something away from something else. e.g. to deflect a bullet. That would mean away from its target, not into a target.

In English there isn't a general word for altering a trajectory into an object. In this case however, reflect is precisely suited to what mirrors do to light and doesn't have the confusing inverse connotation of away. You reflect away from something or onto something equally well in English.

[avar]

> In English there isn't a general word for altering a trajectory into an object.

Divert.

[dylan604]

Also: Reflect (you know since it is a mirror). Bounce. Redirect. Bank. Alley oop. Ricochet.

[ducktypegoose]

You aren't the hero we need, but you're the hero we deserve. I'm changing my vote from, "reflect" to, "Alley oop".

[clairity]

although it’s not as common, “inflect” denotes changing direction toward a target.

yay for the elegance of latin-based prefixes! =)