reverse-parallel
|re-verse-par-al-lel|
🇺🇸
/rɪˈvɜrs ˈpærəlɛl/
🇬🇧
/rɪˈvɜːs ˈpærəlɛl/
parallel but opposite orientation
Etymology
'reverse-parallel' is a compound formed in modern English from 'reverse' + 'parallel', where 'reverse' (from Latin via Old French) conveys 'turned back' or 'opposite' and 'parallel' (from Greek via Latin) conveys 'beside one another in the same plane or direction.'
'reverse' originates from Latin 'revertere' / Old French 'reverser' meaning 'to turn back'; 'parallel' originates from Greek 'parallēlos' (para- 'beside' + allēlos 'one another') via Late Latin. The compound 'reverse-parallel' arose in technical English (20th century) to describe elements placed in parallel but with opposite orientation.
Originally the components 'reverse' and 'parallel' kept their independent meanings; combined, the compound came to mean specifically 'parallel arrangement with reversed orientation' in technical contexts and has retained that technical meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an instance of a reverse-parallel connection or arrangement (a connection in which elements are placed in parallel with opposite orientation).
We used a reverse-parallel to protect the circuit from negative and positive transients.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
describing components or circuits connected in parallel but oriented with opposite polarity or direction (often used in electronics and physics).
The two diodes are reverse-parallel to clamp voltage spikes in both directions.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/11 01:03