[syn: inverse, reverse]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Reverse \Re*verse"\ (r[-e]*v[~e]rs"), n. [Cf. F. revers. See
Reverse, a.]
1. That which appears or is presented when anything, as a
lance, a line, a course of conduct, etc., is reverted or
turned contrary to its natural direction.
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He did so with the reverse of the lance. --Sir W.
Scott.
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2. That which is directly opposite or contrary to something
else; a contrary; an opposite. --Chaucer.
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And then mistook reverse of wrong for right. --Pope.
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To make everything the reverse of what they have
seen, is quite as easy as to destroy. --Burke.
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3. The act of reversing; complete change; reversal; hence,
total change in circumstances or character; especially, a
change from better to worse; misfortune; a check or
defeat; as, the enemy met with a reverse.
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The strange reverse of fate you see;
I pitied you, now you may pity me. --Dryden.
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By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich.
--Lamb.
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4. The back side; as, the reverse of a drum or trench; the
reverse of a medal or coin, that is, the side opposite to
the obverse. See Obverse.
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5. A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand;
a backhanded stroke. [Obs.] --Shak.
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6. (Surg.) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the
direction of the bandage is changed.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Reverse \Re*verse"\, a. [OE. revers, OF. revers, L. reversus, p.
p. of revertere. See Revert.]
1. Turned backward; having a contrary or opposite direction;
hence; opposite or contrary in kind; as, the reverse order
or method. "A vice reverse unto this." --Gower.
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2. Turned upside down; greatly disturbed. [Obs.]
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He found the sea diverse
With many a windy storm reverse. --Gower.
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3. (Bot. & Zool.) Reversed; as, a reverse shell.
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Reverse bearing (Surv.), the bearing of a back station as
observed from the station next in advance.
Reverse curve (Railways), a curve like the letter S, formed
of two curves bending in opposite directions.
Reverse fire (Mil.), a fire in the rear.
Reverse operation (Math.), an operation the steps of which
are taken in a contrary order to that in which the same or
similar steps are taken in another operation considered as
direct; an operation in which that is sought which in
another operation is given, and that given which in the
other is sought; as, finding the length of a pendulum from
its time of vibration is the reverse operation to finding
the time of vibration from the length.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Reverse \Re*verse"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reversed
(r[-e]*v[~e]rst");p. pr. & vb. n. Reversing.] [See
Reverse, a., and cf. Revert.]
1. To turn back; to cause to face in a contrary direction; to
cause to depart.
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And that old dame said many an idle verse,
Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse.
--Spenser.
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2. To cause to return; to recall. [Obs.]
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And to his fresh remembrance did reverse
The ugly view of his deformed crimes. --Spenser.
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3. To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
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Reverse the doom of death. --Shak.
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She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of
Bray. --Sir W.
Scott.
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4. To turn upside down; to invert.
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A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if
balanced by admirable skill. --Sir W.
Temple.
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5. Hence, to overthrow; to subvert.
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These can divide, and these reverse, the state.
--Pope.
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Custom . . . reverses even the distinctions of good
and evil. --Rogers.
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6. (Law) To overthrow by a contrary decision; to make void;
to under or annual for error; as, to reverse a judgment,
sentence, or decree.
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Reverse arms (Mil.), a position of a soldier in which the
piece passes between the right elbow and the body at an
angle of 45[deg], and is held as in the illustration.
To reverse an engine or To reverse a machine, to cause it
to perform its revolutions or action in the opposite
direction.
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Syn: To overturn; overset; invert; overthrow; subvert;
repeal; annul; revoke; undo.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Reverse \Re*verse"\, v. i.
1. To return; to revert. [Obs.] --Spenser.
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2. To become or be reversed.
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
reverse
adj 1: directed or moving toward the rear; "a rearward glance";
"a rearward movement" [syn: rearward, reverse]
2: of the transmission gear causing backward movement in a motor
vehicle; "in reverse gear" [ant: forward]
3: reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect [syn:
inverse, reverse]
n 1: a relation of direct opposition; "we thought Sue was older
than Bill but just the reverse was true" [syn: reverse,
contrary, opposite]
2: the gears by which the motion of a machine can be reversed
[syn: reverse, reverse gear]
3: an unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; something
that is thwarting or frustrating [syn: reverse, reversal,
setback, blow, black eye]
4: the side of a coin or medal that does not bear the principal
design [syn: reverse, verso] [ant: obverse]
5: (American football) a running play in which a back running in
one direction hands the ball to a back running in the
opposite direction
6: turning in the opposite direction [syn: reversion,
reverse, reversal, turnabout, turnaround]
v 1: change to the contrary; "The trend was reversed"; "the
tides turned against him"; "public opinion turned when it
was revealed that the president had an affair with a White
House intern" [syn: change by reversal, turn,
reverse]
2: turn inside out or upside down [syn: turn back, invert,
reverse]
3: rule against; "The Republicans were overruled when the House
voted on the bill" [syn: overrule, overturn, override,
overthrow, reverse]
4: cancel officially; "He revoked the ban on smoking"; "lift an
embargo"; "vacate a death sentence" [syn: revoke, annul,
lift, countermand, reverse, repeal, overturn,
rescind, vacate]
5: reverse the position, order, relation, or condition of; "when
forming a question, invert the subject and the verb" [syn:
invert, reverse]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
327 Moby Thesaurus words for "reverse":
Hydromatic, abandon, abolish, about-face, about-turn, abrogate,
adversative, adverse, adversity, adversive, afterpart, afterpiece,
afterthoughts, alter, annul, antagonistic, anti, antipathetic,
antipodal, antipode, antipodean, antipodes, antipole, antithesis,
antithetic, antithetical, antonym, antonymous, assimilate to,
at cross-purposes, atavism, automatic transmission, back,
back away, back door, back off, back seat, back side, back track,
back trail, back up, backing, backing off, backing out, backing up,
backpedal, backset, backslide, backsliding, backtrack, backtrail,
backup, backward, backward deviation, backwater, bafflement,
balancing, balk, become, behind, better thoughts, breech, bring to,
cancel, capsize, catastrophe, change, change into, change of mind,
change over, check, checkmate, clashing, cogwheel, comedown,
compensating, conflicting, confronting, confusion, contra,
contradictory, contradistinct, contrapositive, contrarious,
contrary, contrasted, converse, convert, counter, counterbalance,
counterbalancing, countercheck, countermand, countermarch,
counterorder, counterpoint, counterpoise, counterpoised,
counterpole, counterterm, countervailing, dead against, debacle,
defeat, descent, differential, differential gear, difficulty,
disaffirm, disannul, disappointment, disaster, discomfiture,
discordant, discrepant, disenchantment, dismantle, do away with,
do over, down, evert, exchange, eyeball to eyeball,
eyeball-to-eyeball, facing, falling back, flip, flip side,
flip-flop, foil, freewheel, frustration, gear, gear train, gearbox,
gearing, gearshift, gearwheel, go astern, go into reverse, heads,
heel, high, hind end, hind part, hindhead, hostile, inconsistent,
inimical, interchange, intermediate, introvert, intussuscept,
invaginate, invalidate, inverse, invert, inverted, lapse,
lapse back, lift, low, make, make over, make sternway, make void,
mature judgment, mirror, misadventure, misfortune, mishap, modify,
naturalize, negate, neutral, nullify, obverse, occiput, offset,
opposed, opposing, opposite, opposite number, opposite side,
oppositional, oppositive, oppugnant, other face, other side,
overdrive, override, overrule, overthrow, overturn, perverse,
polar, polaric, polarized, posterior, postern, problem, pronate,
quash, rack, rear, rear end, rearward, rebuff, recall, recant,
recidivate, recidivation, recidivism, reclamation, reconversion,
reconvert, recrudescence, recurrence, reduce to, regress,
regression, rehabilitation, reinstatement, relapse, render, renege,
renewal, renounce, repeal, repugnant, repulse, rescind,
resolve into, restitution, restoration, resupinate, retract,
retrocede, retrocession, retrogradation, retrograde, retrogress,
retrogression, retroversion, retrovert, return, returning,
reversal, reverse of fortune, reversed, reversing, reversion,
revert, reverting, revoke, revolve, revulsion, right-about,
right-about-face, rotate, rout, second thoughts, set aside,
setback, setoff, severe check, shift, slip back, slipping back,
squared off, standard transmission, stern, stick shift, supinate,
suspend, swingaround, switch, switch over, synchromesh, tail,
tail end, tailpiece, tails, take back, tergiversating,
tergiversation, the contrary, the other side, throwback, transfer,
transform, transmission, transplace, transpose, trouble, turn,
turn about, turn around, turn back, turn down, turn in,
turn inside out, turn into, turn out, turn over, turn the scale,
turn the tables, turn topsy-turvy, turn upside down, turnabout,
turnaround, underside, undo, upset, upside down, vacate, verso,
veto, vicissitude, vis-a-vis, void, volte-face, waive, washout,
withdraw, write off, wrong side