reverse

English Online Dictionary. What means reverse‎? What does reverse mean?

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvɜːs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvɝs/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)s

Etymology 1

From Middle English revers, from Anglo-Norman revers, Middle French revers, and their source, Latin reversus, perfect passive participle of reversō, from re- + versō. Doublet of revers.

Adjective

reverse (not comparable)

1. Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction. [from 14th c.]

2. Pertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction. [from 19th c.]

3. (rail transport, of points) To be in the non-default position; to be set for the lesser-used route.
4. Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
5. (botany) Reversed.

6. (genetics) In which cDNA synthetization is obtained from an RNA template.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “rail transport”): normal

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

reverse (not comparable)

1. (now rare) In a reverse way or direction; in reverse; upside-down. [from 16^thc. (from the 14^thc. in Middle English)]

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:vice versa or Thesaurus:upside down

Noun

reverse (plural reverses)

1. The opposite of something. [from 14th c.]

   Division is the reverse of multiplication.

   The Sun doesn't orbit the Earth—quite the reverse, in fact.

2. The act of going backwards; a reversal. [from 15th c.]
3. A piece of misfortune; a setback. [from 16th c.]
4. (numismatics) The tails side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that is opposite the obverse. [from 17th c.]
5. The side of something facing away from a viewer, or from what is considered the front; the other side. [from 18th c.]
6. The gear setting of an automobile that makes it travel backwards. [from 19th c.]

   Synonym: reverse gear

7. A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
8. (surgery) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.
9. (graph theory) Synonym of transpose

Antonyms

• obverse

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English reversen, from Anglo-Norman reverser, Middle French reverser, and their source, Latin reversō, from re- + versō.

Verb

reverse (third-person singular simple present reverses, present participle reversing, simple past and past participle reversed)

1. (transitive) To turn something around so that it faces the opposite direction or runs in the opposite sequence.

2. (transitive) To turn something inside out or upside down.
3. (transitive) To transpose the positions of two things.
4. (transitive) To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
5. (obsolete, intransitive) To return, come back.
6. (obsolete, transitive) To turn away; to cause to depart.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to return; to recall.
8. (law) To revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.
9. (ergative, transport) To cause a mechanism to operate or move in the opposite direction to normal; to drive a vehicle in the direction the driver has the back.
10. (chemistry) To change the direction of a reaction such that the products become the reactants and vice-versa.
11. (rail transport, transitive) To place (a set of points) in the reverse position.
12. (rail transport, intransitive, of points) To move from the normal position to the reverse position.
13. (aviation, transitive) To engage reverse thrust on (an engine).
14. To overthrow; to subvert.
15. (computing) Short for reverse-engineer.

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “to turn something in the opposite direction”): unreverse
• (antonym(s) of “rail transport”): normalise / normalize (transitive and intransitive)

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Reserve, Reveres, reserve, reveres, severer, veerers

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.vɛʁs/

Verb

reverse

1. inflection of reverser:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• réserve, réservé

Latin

Participle

reverse

1. vocative masculine singular of reversus

References

• "reverse", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)

Middle English

Adjective

reverse

1. reverse: turned upside down; greatly disturbed

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [reˈverse]

Verb

reverse

1. third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of revărsa

Spanish

Verb

reverse

1. infinitive of rever combined with se
2. inflection of reversar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative