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inversion

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inversion

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Inversion  \In*ver"sion\,  n.  [L.  inversio:  cf  F.  inversion.  See 
  {Invert}.] 
  1.  The  act  of  inverting,  or  turning  over  or  backward,  or  the 
  state  of  being  inverted. 
 
  2.  A  change  by  inverted  order  a  reversed  position  or 
  arrangement  of  things  transposition. 
 
  It  is  just  the  inversion  of  an  act  of  Parliament; 
  your  lordship  first  signed  it  and  then  it  was 
  passed  among  the  Lords  and  Commons.  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  (Mil.)  A  movement  in  tactics  by  which  the  order  of 
  companies  in  line  is  inverted,  the  right  being  on  the 
  left  the  left  on  the  right  and  so  on 
 
  4.  (Math.)  A  change  in  the  order  of  the  terms  of  a 
  proportion,  so  that  the  second  takes  the  place  of  the 
  first  and  the  fourth  of  the  third 
 
  5.  (Geom.)  A  peculiar  method  of  transformation,  in  which  a 
  figure  is  replaced  by  its  inverse  figure.  Propositions 
  that  are  true  for  the  original  figure  thus  furnish  new 
  propositions  that  are  true  in  the  inverse  figure.  See 
  {Inverse  figures},  under  {Inverse}. 
 
  6.  (Gram.)  A  change  of  the  usual  order  of  words  or  phrases; 
  as  ``of  all  vices,  impurity  is  one  of  the  most 
  detestable,''  instead  of  ``impurity  is  one  of  the  most 
  detestable  of  all  vices.'' 
 
  7.  (Rhet.)  A  method  of  reasoning  in  which  the  orator  shows 
  that  arguments  advanced  by  his  adversary  in  opposition  to 
  him  are  really  favorable  to  his  cause 
 
  8.  (Mus.) 
  a  Said  of  intervals,  when  the  lower  tone  is  placed  an 
  octave  higher,  so  that  fifths  become  fourths,  thirds 
  sixths,  etc 
  b  Said  of  a  chord,  when  one  of  its  notes,  other  than  its 
  root,  is  made  the  bass. 
  c  Said  of  a  subject,  or  phrase,  when  the  intervals  of 
  which  it  consists  are  repeated  in  the  contrary 
  direction,  rising  instead  of  falling,  or  vice  versa. 
  d  Said  of  double  counterpoint,  when  an  upper  and  a  lower 
  part  change  places. 
 
  9.  (Geol.)  The  folding  back  of  strata  upon  themselves,  as  by 
  upheaval,  in  such  a  manner  that  the  order  of  succession 
  appears  to  be  reversed. 
 
  10.  (Chem.)  The  act  or  process  by  which  cane  sugar  (sucrose), 
  under  the  action  of  heat  and  acids  or  ferments  (as 
  diastase),  is  broken  or  split  up  into  grape  sugar 
  (dextrose),  and  fruit  sugar  (levulose);  also  less 
  properly,  the  process  by  which  starch  is  converted  into 
  grape  sugar  (dextrose). 
 
  Note:  The  terms  invert  and  inversion,  in  this  sense  owe 
  their  meaning  to  the  fact  that  the  plane  of 
  polarization  of  light,  which  is  rotated  to  the  right  by 
  cane  sugar,  is  turned  toward  the  left  by  levulose. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  inversion 
  n  1:  the  layer  of  air  near  the  earth  is  cooler  than  an  overlying 
  layer 
  2:  the  reversal  of  the  normal  order  of  words  [syn:  {anastrophe}] 
  3:  turning  upside  down  [syn:  {upending}] 
  4:  the  act  of  turning  inside  out  [syn:  {eversion},  {everting}]




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