invertn.¹

Brit.

/ˈɪnvəːt/, U.S.

/ˈɪnˌvərt/

Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: invert v.

Etymology: < invert v.In sense 3 after inversion n. 10, inverted adj. 7; compare pervert n. 2.

1. Civil Engineering.

a. A structure in the form of an inverted arch, typically constructed to provide support for the sides or floor or a tunnel, sewer, canal, etc. Now somewhat rare, or as merged into sense 1b.Now largely superseded by modern building techniques.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > architecture > arch > [noun] > other types of arch

bowOE

craba1387

cove1511

triumphal arch (arc)a1566

straight arch1663

pointed arch1688

rough arch1693

jack-arch1700

oxi1700

raking arch1711

flat arch1715

scheme-arch1725

counter-arch1726

ox-eye arch1736

surbased dome1763

ogee1800

rising arch1809

sub-arch1811

deaf arch1815

four-centred arch1815

mixed arch1815

Tudor arch1815

camber1823

lancet arch1823

invert1827

platband1828

pier arch1835

ogive1841

scoinson arch1842

segment1845

skew arch1845

drop-arch1848

equilateral arch1848

lancet1848

rear arch1848

straining-arch1848

tierceron1851

shouldered arch1853

archlet1862

segment-arch1887

1827 A. Jamieson Dict. Mech. Sci. I. 713/1 The average thickness of the walls..where there is no invert, would require to be one-third of the width of the lock.

1862 S. Smiles Lives Engineers III. 314 These walls were further supported by a strong invert,—that is, an arch placed in an inverted position under the road,—thus binding together the walls on both sides.

1905 Irrigation Conf. Simla 1904 I. xxxvi. 154 The structure was founded on a slab of concrete; the enormous pressure of the piers being distributed evenly over the slab by means of inverts.

1920 Railway Engineer Aug. 350/2 The holes were..grouted and encased in long concrete buttresses, some of which were replaced by inverts supporting the permanent arch roof.

1984 D. Beckett Stephenson's Brit. iii. 95 The excavation below the rock was not inherently stable and thus massive retaining walls were required, with inverts constructed beneath the tracks to achieve stability.

b. A structure forming the lowest part or bottom of a sewer, tunnel, drain, etc. Hence: the lowest point on the interior surface of a pipe, drain, channel, etc. Frequently in invert level (see explanation in quot. 2000).Originally a contextual use of sense 1a.

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1835 Questions Connected with Archit. (Inst. Brit. Architects) 10 The arch [sc. of a sewer] is in two half brick rings; the invert on the contrary one whole brick.., or composed of lumps put together in cement.

1873 B. Latham Sanitary Engin. 99 The flat invert formed a better footway for the men..than the sharp curves of the invert of the ordinary oval sewer.

1880 Minutes Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers 61 147 The invert level at the outfall at the sea-wall..is 4.9 feet above Ordnance datum, and 12.8 feet at the point where it joins the old sewer.

1906 Engineering–Contracting 10 Oct. 92/1 In constructing sewers with concrete inverts at Haverhill, Mass, in 1905, use was made of the traveling form or mold shown in the drawings.

1946 E. E. Seelye Data Bk. Civil Engineers II. Gloss. 268/2 Invert, originally, the inverted arch of a masonry-lined sewer. By derivation, the floor, bottom, or lowest point in the internal cross section of a sewer.

1947 L. B. Escritt Sewerage Design & Specif. i. 141 [In U-shaped sewers], the invert is semi-circular, or flat and swept up at a sharp radius to join the sides.

1960 Jrnl. Water Pollution Control Federation 32 218 a (advt.) Chemical wastes have no effect on concrete sewers when inverts are lined with T-Lock Amer-Plate.

2000 D. Butler & J. Davies Urban Drainage vii. 110 The invert of a pipe refers to the lowest point on the inside of the pipe. The invert level is the vertical distance of the invert above some fixed level or datum.

†2. Telegraphy. An insulator in which the groove which carries the wire runs along the top, rather than the sides. Obsolete.

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1863 R. S. Culley Handbk. Pract. Telegr. iv. 61 A tube or double cone surrounding the wire, and supported at its centre, must be double the length of an insulator fixed at its end (such as an invert) to be equally effective.

1876 W. H. Preece & J. Sivewright Telegraphy 224 An effort is at present being made to introduce a form of invert in which the bolt passes nearly to the top of the insulating material.

3. Chiefly Psychology and Psychoanalysis in early use. A person with sexual feelings or other psychological characteristics regarded as contrary to those considered normal or typical for their sex, or as characteristic of a person of the opposite sex; spec. a homosexual person, esp. a man. More fully sexual invert. Cf. inversion n. 10, inverted adj. 7. Now rare or historical (disused in technical contexts, and often considered offensive in general use).Late 19th- and early 20th-cent. descriptions and discussions of ‘the invert’ by psychologists frequently dealt with feelings and behaviour that would now be related to questions of gender identity rather than sexual orientation, but for much of the 20th cent. the word in this sense was often used—particularly by non-specialists—to refer to homosexual men and women.In quot. 1911 perhaps in weakened sense: an effete or effeminate man.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual orientation > homosexuality > [noun] > a homosexual person

urning1883

invert1892

homosexual1894

Uranist1895

homosexualist1898

Uranian1908

intersexualc1910

homoerotic1915

homo1923

one of those1927

freak1941

homophile1945

gay1953

consenting adult1957

minty1957

lesbigays1992

1892 H. Ellis Let. 1 July in S. Brady J. A. Symonds & Homosexuality (2012) 223 You speak (as I should.) of sex. [i.e. sexual] inverts as ‘abnormal natures’.

1892 J. A. Symonds Let. 29 Dec. in S. Brady J. A. Symonds & Homosexuality (2012) 237 I do not believe that legislation can affect the percentage of persons born inverts.

1897 H. Ellis & J. A. Symonds Sexual Inversion 12 Like many modern inverts he [sc. Julius Caesar] was accustomed carefully to shave his skin.

1911 R. W. Chambers Common Law i. 29 This world is full of pale, enraptured artists;..full of unwashed little inverts.

1937 Washington Post 3 Mar. 9/1 Hugh is not a sexual invert, although the pale and timid minister, Father Bonteen, quivers and weakens with love at the sight of [him].

1966 J. R. Cavanagh (title) Counseling the Invert.

1973 Times 10 July 3/3 To lump all homosexuals together as perverts, degenerates, inverts, or other pseudo-scientific terms which were only a guise for disapproval, did not help.

1997 M. Gibson in V. A. Rosario Sci. & Homosexualities 123 Further evidence of the masculinity of the invert was found in the fact that only feminine men would ever be attracted to her.

2006 Kingston (Jamaica) Gleaner 4 June g 5/3 What excites the media and public is scandal and homosexuality. So what if only about three per cent of men are inverts?

4. Philately. A postage stamp having all or part of its design printed upside down in error, often highly valued for its rarity.

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1902 Mekeel's Stamp Collector 13 Jan. 11/2 A banking concern..discovered after they had used for postage thirty-five out of a sheet of one hundred 1c Pan-American stamps, that the steamer was printed upside down in the center. The sixty-five inverts thereupon came upon the market.

1941 H. J. Reilly Secret Better Health xviii. 139 I know persons who pursue ill-health as avidly as any stamp collector ever chased a rare invert.

1990 Stamp Monthly Mar. 79/3 (advt.) A stamp dealer rescued his three inverts from a flood when the Susquehanna River broke through a dike.

2013 N.Y. Times 7 Oct. (Late ed.) a17/1 Mr. Robey..resold his full sheet of 100 inverts to a dealer and bought himself a new house with the proceeds.

5. Sport (esp. in skateboarding and snowboarding). An aerial manoeuvre involving turning upside down; (sometimes) spec. = hand plant n. (b) at hand n. Compounds 6.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > skateboarding > [noun] > technique or stunt

slalom1976

wheelie1976

kick flip1977

wedeling1977

invert1979

ollie1979

air1984

nose-pick1988

1979 Sun (San Bernardino, Calif.) 17 Apr. b11/3 Bowl riding is strictly skateboard, and the jargon describing the stunts performed here can make you think you're in another world. There's rock and rolls and inverts.., grinders and wheelers.

1988 U.S.A. Gymnastics Sept. 43/1 A set marked by..a full-twisting front-recatch from the inverts.

1991 R. King Rad Boards v. 21/1 If you hang around good skateboarders, maybe you'll see a really good one do ‘inverts’, or ‘hand plants’.

2000 Brit. Waterskier Sept. 26/2 Jack's arsenal of inverts and spins.

2013 H. Teter & T. Schultz Mastering Snowboarding 132 Back flips..are actually one of the easiest and least scary inverts to try.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

invertv.

Brit.

/ɪnˈvəːt/, U.S.

/ᵻnˈvərt/

Forms: 1500s–1600s inuert, 1500s–1600s inuerte, 1500s– invert, 1600s inverte.

Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin invertere.

Etymology: < classical Latin invertere to turn upside down or inside out, to reverse, to turn over violently, upset, to turn round, to pervert, to reverse (an order), to cause words to convey the opposite sense (e.g. by irony), to change, alter, to paraphrase, to translate < in- in- prefix³ + vertere vert v.¹ Compare earlier inverse v. Compare also earlier reverse v.¹Compare Middle French, French invertir (1537; the more usual French verb is renverser renverse v.), Spanish invertir (a1560). Specific senses. With sense 3a compare inversion n. 4a In sense 4a after inversion n. 5. In sense 6 after inversion n. 8. In sense 7 after inversion n. 9. In sense 8 after inversion n. 11. In sense 17 after inversion n. 23.

I. To reverse or transpose in order, sequence, or direction, and related senses.

a. transitive. To reverse or transpose (two or more things, their order, position, etc.); to turn or place (something) in a contrary direction.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > arrange in sequence or series [verb (transitive)] > reverse natural or proper order

misturna1350

inverse?a1425

invert1533

transvert1552

preposterate1566

retrograde1582

rencounter1689

transverse1738

1533 T. More Debellacyon Salem & Bizance ii. xv. f. xlix Whiche thys good man dyssembleth here and inuerteth here thordre [sc. of the parts of an argument] for the nonys.

1577 H. I. tr. H. Bullinger 50 Godlie Serm. II. iv. iii. Ee.vi^v/2 This laste precept..is in deede but one, as it may be partly gathered by this order thus inuerted in the setting of it downe in two sundrie places.

1614 J. Selden Titles of Honor 67 In the Scripture you haue the very name [Hannibal] but inverted: Baal-Hanan in Gen. cap. xxxvi.

1664 J. Evelyn tr. R. Fréart Parallel Antient Archit. ii. v. 102 The three Faces of the Architrave are all inverted from the ordinary position.

1682 W. Dugdale Antient Usage 57 [The barons of le Strange] had a sheild gules, with two Lyons passant Argent... But Fulk le Strange..inverted the colours, bearing in a field Argent, two lyons passant gules.

a1742 L. Twells Twenty-four Serm. (1743) I. xiv. 278 [Our Adversary] quite inverts the Series of Events in Daniel.

1762 Ld. Kames Elements Crit. II. xviii. 324 By inverting the natural arrangement, and by introducing a word or member before its time..our curiosity is raised about what is to follow.

1808 L. Murray Eng. Gram. Illustr. I. iii. 201 This sentence may be inverted without changing a single word.

1871 A. S. Wilkins tr. K. Halm in Cicero Orations against Catilina 138 The..figure called chiasmus..in which the order of words in the first clause is inverted in the second.

1901 Interior (Chicago) 1 Aug. 976/1 There are boarding schools.., college preparatory schools.., [etc.], schools large and small... Suppose we invert the list and consider it item by item. First, a large school or a small school?

1942 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 73 237 Eratosthenes improved the Platonic order [of planets] by inverting the positions of Mercury and Venus.

2008 C. A. Jones & J. Clark in S. Gopal & S. L. Tikhvinsky Hist. Humanity VII. xxvi. 410/1 Picasso's painting..inverts the colours of the French tricolour. As if hung upside-down, or seen from behind, the colours are reversed.

b. transitive. To change or turn (a quality, principle, relationship, etc.) into something of opposite character or tendency; to alter or change completely in meaning or significance; to reverse the relations between; to change or alter so as to act in the opposite way.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > relationship > contrariety or contrast > be contrary to [verb (transitive)] > invert

turna1200

invert?1536

?1536 tr. Erasmus Serm. Chylde Jesus ii. sig. B.vii^v This chylde hathe inuerted all order of thinges... The wysdom of the aged is destroyed.., and children be replenyshed with wysdom.

1592 A. Day Eng. Secretorie (rev. ed.) i. sig. L3^v To inuert the good also therein being, vnto a worser part.

1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 631 Thus is all inverted, many Kings, and few subjects.

1679 W. Simpson Hist. Scarbrough-spaw 45 [The disease of Melancholy] perverts the Phansie, sometimes inverting the regular Idea's thereof.

1689 C. Mather Work upon Ark Introd. sig. A3^v Printing.., Powder.., and the Load Stone..have in a manner turn'd the World upside down, and inverted all the affairs of it.

1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 225. ⁋1 A set of People who invert the Design of Conversation.

1822 W. Hazlitt Table-talk (1869) 2nd Ser. xviii. 368 The principle of economy is inverted.

1874 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 1st Ser. 328 The old-fashioned canons of poetical justice are inverted.

1881 B. F. Westcott & F. J. A. Hort New Test. in Orig. Greek II. Introd. ii. 28 The relative attractiveness of conflicting readings becomes inverted by careful study.

1930 N.Y. Herald Tribune 19 Oct. v. 6/7 Today the situation has been inverted, and we need a revolution of opinion corresponding to the shifting from workers' liability for accidents to employers' liability.

1972 L. A. Hieb in A. Ortiz New Perspectives Pueblos 165 They [sc. ritual clowns] reverse, invert, and transpose the normal meaning..of culture and society.

2006 Guardian 1 June (Technology section) 4/1 The meaning of ‘sick’ has been inverted to ‘very good’ in much the same way as wicked became good years ago.

c. transitive. To perform, carry out, or employ (a method, process, etc.) in a way opposite or contrary to the former or usual method.

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1574 H. Howard Def. Eccl. Regiment in Eng. 116 Quite to inuert the ordinarie course and processe of the law, and alter the state of ciuill policie.

1649 Subjects Sorrow 16 We will a little invert the method: Begin with King Charles his divine Regall prerogatives, next shew [etc.].

1699 T. Forrester v. 101 in Dr. Scott's Pleadings This would invert our Lords Method of Procedure.

1701 E. Gibson Let. to Friend in Country 7/1 The Lower Clergy..had inverted the proper Order of Proceedings in such Cases, and Ended where of right they ought to have Begun.

1778 J. Mudge Radical & Expeditious Cure Cough iv. 219 By inverting the treatment.., a compound facture might..be reduced to the state of a simple one.

1836 J. Backhouse Let. 7 July (1842) II. 75 We..concluded after some deliberation, to invert our plan of proceeding.

1847 W. Whewell Philos. Inductive Sci. (new ed.) I. 144 Having succeeded in this analytical process, we may invert it.

1904 Experim. Station Rec. (U.S. Dept. Agric.) Dec. 393 The author studied fluctuations in body temperature when the daily routine was inverted.

1982 New Scientist 6 May 360/2 The cladist uses his method to construct a taxonomy; the comparative adaptationist inverts the technique.

2014 Filmmaker Fall 6/1 The way most filmmakers attempt to create impact is by making a film first and then talking about the subject of their film. But what if that process was inverted?

†d. intransitive. To change to the opposite; esp. to reverse or undergo reversal. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > change > change to something else, transformation > change of direction, reversion > revert [verb (intransitive)] > change to opposite condition

contrary1489

invert?1615

swing1833

counterchange1851

?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvii. 61 Double not needless passion on a heart Whose joy so green is, and so apt t' invert.

1694 J. Forrest Brief Def. Old Method curing Continual Fevers 112 Can the fine Blood return? not by the Arteries, that being absolutely impossible, for grant their Motion should invert.., the three Semilunar Valves do still hinder.

1813 T. Busby in tr. Lucretius Nature of Things I. ii. Comm. p. xli Till their natures change, and their order of operation invert.

†a. transitive. To turn (an objection, accusation, argument, etc.) back against (also upon) the person who made it. Cf. inversion n. 1. Obsolete.

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the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > refute, disprove [verb (transitive)] > by counter-charge

answerOE

returna1500

retort?1542

reject1553

recharge1566

contort?1567

invert1584

reband1588

recriminate1603

rebut1624

countercharge1626

occur1660

counterprove1679

1584 B. Rich Don Simonides II. sig. E.ii The learned Ciuilian hath both aunswered the Obiections were laied against hym, and inuerted them against his Aduersarie.

1631 J. Burges Answer Reioyned 221 The recrimination which..the Replyer inverts vpon our Bishops, hath more shew then substance.

1676 T. Ellwood Truth Prevailing vi. 140 I will not invert the Charge upon my Adversary (which without any Injustice to him I might do).

1707 Serious Exam. George Keith's Serious Call to Quakers 30 We have only his Ipse dixit, for proof of Error in this Case; which being justly inverted upon him, he must [etc.].

1730 A. Smith Court Intrigues 86 Hoping the Arguments they had made use of themselves, inverted against them, might have the same Prevalency on their Honour.., as it had on them who could not by any Rhetorick evade the same.

b. transitive. Chiefly literary and poetic. To turn (something, esp. one's eyes or gaze) inwards; to cause to point or face inwards. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > direction > specific directions > direct in specific directions [verb (transitive)] > direct or turn inwards

invert1609

to turn in1693

1609 tr. ‘J. Ursinus’ Romane Conclaue 92 This is his persecution of Infidels, this his Croisado against Turks & Pagans, viz. To inuert christian armes against christians.

1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 16 Skin of a Lyon, Leopard..or Sheep (the haire inverted) is as a roabe put about their shoulders.

a1657 G. Daniel Poems (1878) II. 78 Invert thy Eyes and see Its State, and thy degree.

1722 J. Sterling Rival Generals ii. 21 My Eyes inverted gaze upon my Mind.

1745 J. Cutts Rebellion Defeated i. iii. 4 Your own Existence search!—behold your Frame! Invert your Eyes! inspect your wond'rous Self!

1843 J. Abbott Narr. Journey Heraut to Khiva I. xix. 258 I have never seen any silk stuffs among the Kuzauks, whose bonnet is lambskin or wolf's fur, inverted.

1869 Homœopathic Sun May 236 It is distasteful to invert our gaze and behold imperfections within.

1920 Philadelphia Inquirer 26 Mar. 15/1 Instead of looking out upon life squarely..they invert their gaze and see only what concerns themselves.

1975 C. Singh Thus saith Master (ed. 2) 341 Try to physically invert your eyes in an attempt to seek something within.

†a. transitive. Military. To cause (a rank of troops) to form up into a file or files. Cf. inversion n. 4a. Obsolete.In quot. 1627 intransitive with to: (of troops) to fall out of rank and into file.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [verb (transitive)] > other evolutions

invert1627

ploy1836

1627 T. Kellie Pallas Armata 61 The right and left hand File standing fast, and the rest of the Files inverting to them, for some calleth this Motion Fileing by inversion.

1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discipl. xxxiii. 90 This following Figure of Inversion, is of Ranks filing to the right; where all the Ranks are to be inverted to the out-most file to the right.

1650 R. Elton Compl. Body Art Mil. i. lix. 53 Fire to the right by ranks wheeling... Fire to the right by ranks inverting, or filing.

1735 J. Gittins Compl. Syst. Mil. Discipline Suppl. 200 Wheel your two Ranks together into the midst, and then halt them; and then you have inverted your two Ranks into four Files.

b. transitive. Military and Navy. To cause (a fighting force, line of battle, etc.) to adopt a formation in which the previous or usual order or arrangement of units, ranks, ships, etc., is reversed; to place (units, ranks, etc.) in such a formation. Cf. inversion n. 4b. Now chiefly historical.In quot. 1832 intransitive with object implied.

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1779 Minutes Proc. Court-martial Sir Hugh Palliser 36/1 Finding that the Formidable continued upon the Starboard Tack, and that Sir Robert Harland was gone into the Rear, I formed ahead of the Victory, concluding that the Line was going to be inverted.

1788 D. Dundas Princ. Mil. Movements 86 Each division..is marching in the alignment, to return along that same line,..without inverting or altering the proper front of the line.

1832 Proposed Regulations Cavalry iii. 113 It will be better to invert by Regiments.

1870 Field Q. Nov. 274/2 The old-fashioned inverted line is all very well..; but to invert squadrons must be more or less confusing to the men, especially in the smoke and confusion of an action.

1918 H. C. Ramsey Elem. Naval Ordnance & Gunnery 376 Conditions often arise where it is necessary to invert a battalion in order that certain evolutions may be carried out.

2015 E. J. Hess Civil War Infantry Tactics vi. 104 The regiment led its brigade in moving forward by the flank until forming line only two hundred yards from the enemy, getting the ranks inverted in the process.

4. Mathematics.

a. transitive. To transform (a ratio or proportion) by interchanging the antecedent and the consequent. Cf. inversion n. 5a.

ΚΠ

1658 J. Collins Sector on Quadrant 40 We may find the length of the Shadow by inverting the Proportion aforesaid.

1779 A. Ewing Synopsis Pract. Math. (ed. 2) iii. 113 Lineal feet may be reduced to links of either kind, by inverting the proportions.

1848 D. Adams Arithm. 182 We invert the ratio when we reverse the order of the terms in the proportion.

1956 Astrophysical Jrnl. 124 561 We may write the ratio of longitudinal to transverse electric field, inverting the ratio so as to obtain again something proportional to z_c.

2012 Energy Policy 51 384/1 We inverted the ratio to represent the cost growth as a multiplicative factor.

b. transitive. To find the inverse (inverse n. 2b) of (a function or an element of an algebraic structure).

ΚΠ

1853 Proc. Royal Irish Acad. 1850–3 5 287 We might also invert the function.

1965 W. C. Krumbein & F. A. Graybill Introd. Statist. Models Geol. xiii. 345 In the span of a few years it has become commonplace to invert matrices as large as 45 × 45.

2011 J. Baggott Quantum Story v. 243 Simply by inverting the function.., the graph became a probability distribution.

c. transitive. To change the dependent variable of (an equation or other mathematical expression) by rearrangement or substitution of terms.

ΚΠ

1875 Astronomische Nachrichten No. 2025 132 Inverting the formulas we shall be able to find the values of v and r in terms of the time t.

1953 Econometrica 21 163 Let us consider whether it is possible to invert the equations and treat the prices as function of the quantities.

2015 P. Baudin Wireless Transceiver Archit. vii. 521 Then we would need to invert the equation to solve for G_c.

d. transitive. To calculate an unknown function from (an associated integral, esp. its Laplace, Fourier, etc., transform). Cf. inversion n. 5b.

ΚΠ

1886 Proc. Cambr. Philos. Soc. 1883–6 5 373 The author had considered..the complete system of functions..obtained by inverting the integrals.

1950 Physical Rev. 80 997/2 It is necessary to invert the Laplace transform.

1980 Q. Jrnl. Mech. & Appl. Math. 33 16 If we invert the Fourier transform first..then the resulting Laplace inversion is not tabulated and would need to be evaluated by contour integration.

2012 S. I. Kabanikhin Inverse & Ill-posed Probl. viii. 208 If we want to apply the methods developed for the hyperbolic case to inverse problems for parabolic equations, it can be done by inverting the Laplace transform.

5. Music.

a. transitive. To vary (a melody or theme) by changing each ascending interval into the corresponding descending interval, and vice versa, leading to a reversal or mirroring of the upward and downward motion of the melody or theme.

ΚΠ

1667 C. Simpson Compend. Pract. Musick v. ix. 170 You must invert the Notes as you place them in the following Part accomodating your new Descant (Bar after Bar) to the Notes so inverted.

1752 tr. J.-P. Rameau Treat. Musick (new ed.) xliv. 154 Having framed a Design or Subject, you may invert it in such a Manner, that the same Inversion which has been heard ascending, may be heard descending, and vice versa.

1785 C. Burney Acct. Musical Performances 56 Handel has manifested wonderful abilities in that fugue, by inverting a very curious and difficult subject, in all the answers.

1838 Penny Cycl. XI. 3/1 Fugue by Inversion..In this the theme is inverted.

1890 L. C. Elson Theory of Music xxii. 184 Canon in contrary motion..is where the imitating voice inverts the subject, instead of exactly repeating it.

1931 D. F. Tovey Compan. to ‘Art of Fugue’ 31 The next two fugues are tours de force, being compositions that can be inverted note for note from beginning to end.

1999 New Yorker 10 May 65/1 He bends notes down, inverts the melody, spreads out the pitches of the chords, leans on a single note while the chords change around it.

2016 B. Shute Seri Solo: Symbolum iii. 61 The lamenting exile theme is heard again after it has been decisively inverted in a way that would seem to evoke the resurrection.

b. transitive. To produce (a new interval or chord) from an interval or chord by harmonic inversion (see inversion n. 6a); to change the relative position of the notes of (an interval or chord), by placing a note or notes higher (or lower), usually by a single octave. Also intransitive: to undergo harmonic inversion.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > melody or succession of sounds > melody [verb (transitive)] > melodic progression

invert1737

modulate1797

society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > harmony or sounds in combination > chord > [verb (transitive)] > invert

invert1737

1737 tr. J.-P. Rameau Treat. Music xxi. 65 The Second is an Interval inverted [Fr. renversé] from that of the Seventh, and consequently the Chord of the Second is inverted from the Chord of the Seventh.

1770 J. Holden Ess. Rational Syst. Music 104/2 Dissonances by suspension are rarely inverted.

1837 J. A. Hamilton tr. L. Cherubini Course of Counterpoint & Fugue I. xl. 343 In a fugue.., all the imitations..ought to be made in the same interval as the answer itself, or else in the fourth, which is only a fifth inverted.

1916 P. W. Orem Harmony Bk. vii. 26 Inverting a Major Interval produces a Minor; a Minor, a Major, etc.; but inverting a Perfect Interval produces another Perfect Interval.

1957 Music & Lett. 38 200 When the sevenths invert, he too goes head over heels with excitement.

a1985 B. Fleet in I. Gitler Swing to Bop (1987) ii. 70 I'd play the original chords to the tune, and I'd invert 'em every one, two, three, or four beats.

2018 Daily Lobo (Univ. New Mexico) (Nexis) 26 Mar. 1 I used chords made of certain intervals and then inverted them throughout the piece.

c. transitive. To vary (a piece of counterpoint) by altering the relative placement of the parts or voices, so that the higher part or parts are placed below the lower, or vice versa; to transpose (parts or voices) within a piece of counterpoint.Cf. invertible counterpoint n. at invertible adj.² Compounds.

ΚΠ

?a1778 tr. J. J. Fux Pract. Rules Learning Composition v. 35 The Counterpoint is to be inverted thus, that the Treble Part may come to be placed in the Duodecime below it, and Canto fermo to remain in its place.

?a1778 tr. J. J. Quantz Easy Instr. Extempore Embellishments 27 If in either of these Examples we should invert the Parts, i.e. change them, thus, that the uppermost becomes the lowermost & vice versa, a succession of Thirds will follow.

1825 J. F. Danneley Encycl. Music at Triple Counterpoint Each counterpoint, properly conducted, may be inverted in six ways.

1873 H. C. Banister Music xxxii. 152 The student should complete the examples..; and, likewise, invert the parts in all other ways.

1960 Revue Belge de Musicologie 1 17 The emphasis upon thirds and tenths is caused by the need to invert the parts.

1994 W. Renwick Analyzing Fugue v. 140 This is a good example of invertible counterpoint at the tenth..as a means of inverting a counterpoint that is not amenable to inversion at the octave.

2002 P. Schubert in T. Christensen Cambr. Hist. Western Music Theory xvi. 514 If two voices are to be inverted at the twelfth.., the original combination must contain no sixths in strong metrical positions.

6. transitive. Chemistry. To hydrolyse (sucrose) to form glucose and fructose, thereby changing the optical activity of its solution from dextrorotatory to laevorotatory; to change (the optical activity of a sucrose solution) in this way. Also intransitive: to undergo such hydrolysis. Cf. inversion n. 8a, inverted adj. 6.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > carbohydrates > sugars > to convert starch into sugar [verb (transitive)] > to invert

invert1845

1845 Chem. Anal. Sugar, Molasses, &c. 28 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (28th Congr., 1st Sess.: House of Representatives Treasury Doc. 146) IV Fermentation inverts the rotary power of cane sugar.

1864 H. Watts Dict. Chem. II. 856 Honey..contains cane-sugar (which is gradually inverted by keeping), inverted sugar, and an excess of dextroglucose.

1887 Cent. Mag. Nov. 114/1 He seeks to keep the temperature down to 130°. If it is too high some of the sucrose will ‘invert’ or ‘caramel’ into glucose.

1899 J. Cagney tr. R. von Jaksch Clin. Diagnosis (ed. 4) v. 162 Hoffman has availed himself of the property which HCl. possesses of inverting cane-sugar, i.e., of breaking it up into dextrose and lævulose.

1977 R. W. Bohall et al. Sugar Industry's Struct., Pricing, & Performance 27 Liquid sugar users cannot safely store liquid sugar for much more than 30 days without the risk of the sucrose inverting into its components—dextrose and fructose.

2010 P. Hull Glucose Syrups App. C 325 There are several different grades of invert, depending upon how far the sucrose has been inverted.

7. transitive. Logic. To change (a proposition) by inversion; to obtain the inverse of (a proposition). See inversion n. 9. Now rare.In quot. 1891 intransitive with passive meaning.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > [verb (transitive)] > obtain the reverse of

invert1890

1890 E. E. C. Jones Elem. Logic xix. 147 Only Coincidental Categoricals can be converted, contraverted, retroverted, or inverted.

1891 J. Welton Man. Logic I. iii. iii. 304 (margin) SeP inverts to SiP by converting the Obv[erte]d Converse.

1918 Dublin Exam. Papers for 1917 457 What is the ‘inverse’ of a categorical proposition? Why is it not possible to invert all propositions?

1982 J. M. Nyasani Introd. Trad. Logic vi. 76 In inverting the A proposition.., you start with obversion and then conversion and then carry on with alternating the two until you attain the final result.

8. intransitive. Chemistry and Mineralogy. Of a solid substance: to undergo transformation into a different form. Cf. inversion n. 11.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > chemistry > physical chemistry > phases > [verb (intransitive)] > inversion

invert1907

1907 Science 23 Aug. 290 The hexahydrate of calcium chloride inverts to the tetrahydrate, in presence of an excess of sodium chloride.

1933 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 225 284 It would..be possible for β-solid solutions to invert to the γ-form.

1979 R. Anderton et al. Dynamic Stratigr. Brit. Isles v. 57/2 Eventually the cristobalite inverts to the stable cryptocrystalline quartz (chert).

2004 W. D. Nesse Introd. Optical Mineral. (ed. 3) xv. 270/1 Aragonite commonly inverts to its polymorph calcite.

9. transitive. Telecommunications. To subject (a signal) to a process that reverses the order of the component frequencies (either completely or in a restricted range), thus scrambling it for transmission. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > telecommunication > [verb (transitive)] > invert

invert1920

1920 Literary Digest 10 Jan. 27/2 The principal element of the apparatus consists of a rotating commutator which rotates and inverts the current.

1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) X. 624/2 The first method employs equipment for inverting speech to make overseas telephone conversations unintelligible to the casual listener.

II. To divert, deflect, or transfer, and related senses.

†10. transitive. To distort (a text, argument, action, etc.) from the correct meaning or intent; to pervert, misconstrue, or misrepresent. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > misinterpretation > distortion or perversion of meaning > pervert or distort [verb (transitive)]

crooka1340

deprave1382

pervertc1390

strainc1449

drawc1450

miswrest?a1475

bewrya1522

wry?1521

to make a Welshman's hose ofa1529

writhea1533

wrest1533

invert1534

wring?1541

depravate1548

rack1548

violent1549

wrench1549

train1551

wreathe1556

throw1558

detorta1575

shuffle1589

wriggle1593

distortc1595

to put, set, place, etc. on the rack1599

twine1600

wire-draw1610

monstrify1617

screw1628

corrupt1630

gloss1638

torture1648

force1662

vex1678

refract1700

warp1717

to put a force upon1729

twist1821

ply1988

1534 G. Gardynare Let. Yonge Gentylman f. xviii^v Howe canne you wyth all your gloses inuerte thys from hys corporall presence?

1548 J. Véron Certayne Litel Treat. sig. A.iiii^v The dyuell from y^e begynnyng..dyd study, laboure and endeuore hym selfe, to inuerte, deprauate, and wraste the scriptures of god, to make them doubtfull and of no autorytye amonge men.

1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) ii. xix. 205/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I This act of his [sc. King John's] was so ill taken by the religious.., that they inuerted his intent herein to another end; affirming most slanderouslie how he did it..to impouerish..the north part of the realme.

1603 F. Dillingham Quartron of Reasons Vnquartered 92 He doth rent in peeces the text of Doctors, and inuerteth the sense of the same.

1659 Eng. Anatomized 4 They have inverted the Text, and are worse than Infidells.

1776 J. Rawlins 2nd Diss. Heretical Opinions 15 Those who torture, and, as it were, invert the Scriptures, by preferring the Inventions of Men.

†11. transitive. To transfer (a word or words) from a literal to a figurative or symbolic meaning for literary effect; to use in a metaphorical sense, or with allegorical meaning. Cf. inversion n. 18. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > figure of speech > figures of meaning > express with figure of meaning [verb (transitive)] > express metaphorically or figuratively > use metaphorically or figuratively

translate1534

invert1589

transfer1592

tropologize1678

1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xvi. 150 Ye see that these words, source, shop, flud, sugred, are inuerted from their owne signification to another, not altogether so naturall, but of much affinitie with it.

†12. transitive. To divert or deflect (money, supplies, etc.) from its proper use or purpose; to pervert to another use. Later also (without construction): to misappropriate or embezzle. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > misuse > [verb (transitive)] > misapply > pervert

miswendc1325

misturna1382

pervertc1390

transpose1509

wrestc1530

bend1531

crooken1552

intervert1603

invert1603

1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 930 Neither could any man..accuse him for robbing the State, or inverting any thing to his own use.

1670 R. Coke Disc. Trade 18 In being committed prisoners, the means which is thereby spent in paying Fees to Jaylors, is inverted from that end to which it might have been imployed towards the Payment of his Debts.

1678 G. Mackenzie Laws & Customes Scotl. xxxv. 348 There can be no greater injury done to His Majesties Government, then to abstract or invert his money, which is the nerves, not only of War, but of all power.

13.

†a. transitive. To appropriate, confiscate, or cause to relinquish (property). Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1643 (title) By the King. A proclamation against the oppression of the clergy by the intrusion of factious and schismaticall persons into their cures, and inverting and detaining their tithes and possessions by orders of one or both Houses of Parliament.

1686 G. Mackenzie Observ. Acts Parl. 417 Government does so far Influence Property, that all Lawyers are of opinion, that the Prince may, for a just Cause, invert or take away Property.

1731 A. Hill Athelwold iii. 32 Detected Treason Inverts the vanquish'd Traitor's Property, and he and his lost Blood are Forfeits, all.

b. transitive. Scots Law. To alienate, transfer, or encroach upon (property rights). Originally and chiefly in to invert possession and variants. Now somewhat rare.Often (and now usually) with reference to the use by a tenant of a rented property for a purpose not permitted by his or her lease.

ΚΠ

1681 J. Dalrymple Inst. Law Scotl. ix. 106 Possessours invert their Masters Possession, and pay their Rents to another.

1695 in Fountainhall's Decisions (1759) I. 679 The Lords..would not summarily invert the Town of Edinburgh's possession.

1749 Information for Sir R. Gordon against A. Dunbar 6 It was not in the Power of the Patron to invert the Parson's Possession by an Allocation of a Stipend upon the Teinds.

1781 A. Ld. Macdonald against N. Macleod: Appellant's Case 12 That the Bernera Tenants possessed it..without Molestation, yet that cannot invert the Title of Property inherent in the Family of Macdonald.

1849 Rep. Supreme Courts Scotl. 21 160/1 Mr. Dixon, by widening the gauge [sc. of a tram-railway] is inverting the possession; and the Trustees may now say this is more than using a tolerance—it is claiming a right.

1878 Jrnl. Jurispr. 22 494 Damages are due if a tenant does not take possession, or inverts possession.

1906 Scotsman 12 Mar. 10/2 What the Magistrates proposed to do was to invert the state of possession.

1956 Banffshire Jrnl. 27 Nov. 8 The defender had inverted possession by erecting the three poles.

2014 Sc. Case Digests (CSIH 51) (Lexis) 3 June What the respondent was actually seeking to do was invert the possession on the strength of an apparent title, which turned out to be unfounded.

III. To turn upside down, and related senses.

†14. transitive. To overthrow (an institution, government, society, etc.); to overturn completely (an established custom, practice, right, etc.); to upset; to subvert. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > authority > lack of subjection > rebelliousness > revolution > make revolutionary in character [verb (transitive)] > overthrow

upturna1340

overturna1382

subvert1474

invert1548

overthrow1567

wrake1570

revolve1609

to pull down1625

overset1679

1548 E. Gest Treat. againste Masse sig. Kvii^v Inuert & subuert the ryght institution & vsage of y^e sacrament of christes body & bloud.

1571 Disc. tviching Estait sig. Bvi Meitar wald ze say to inuert all and cut the Kingis throt?

1588 J. Udall State Church of Eng. sig. F^v All that I saye or desire, is not to inuert any thing in the state that is good.

1648 Hunting of Fox 36 The designe to invert and subvert both Church and Commonwealth.

1687 A. Shields Hind let Loose 211 Antichristian Poperie, which have overturned His Government, inverted His Lawes, subverted His Officiers, & Perverted His Ordinances.

1706 D. Defoe Jure Divino Pref. p. v Who shall invade the Property of the Subject, invert the Publick Justice, or overthrow the Religion and Liberty of England.

15.

a. transitive. To turn or place (a thing, or occasionally a person) upside down; to turn over.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert [verb (transitive)]

to-wendc893

whelvec1000

to turn down?c1335

to turn up?c1335

whelmc1340

overturna1382

to turn overa1400

wholve14..

inverse?a1425

reverse?a1425

overwhelvec1450

overvolvea1522

transverse1557

evert1566

topsy-turn1573

topsy-turve1603

invert1610

upturn1610

whave1611

topsy-turvy1626

whemmel1684

cant1850

upend1868

flip-flop1924

1610 Bp. J. Hall Common Apol. against Brownists xlvi. 111 Perhaps you haue espied some old dustie statue..or..halfe a Crucifixe inuerted in a Church-window, and these you surely noted for English Idols.

1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper i. 44 Others inverted with feet upward, and head downward, and a fire being underneath, were so smoaked and suffocated to death.

1754 B. Martin Introd. Eng. Lang. & Learning 180 The Barometer.., by which the Weight of the Air is shewn, by suspending a Column of Mercury in a Glass Tube inverted in a Bason of the same Fluid.

a1774 O. Goldsmith Surv. Exper. Philos. (1776) II. iii. vii. 326 This telescope inverts the image... By adding two glasses more, the image may be seen upright.

1800 tr. E. J. B. Bouillon-Lagrange Man. Course Chem. I. 47 If you place a card on a glass filled with water, and invert the glass, the water will not escape.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. iv. 35 The coast line was inverted by atmospheric refraction.

1900 S. P. Sadtler Hand-bk. Industr. Org. Chem. (ed. 3) 207 When the cork is three-fourth parts out he quickly inverts the bottle.

2017 Daily Herald (Chicago) 27 Sept. iv. 4/1 Carefully invert the pan to transfer the tarte Tatin onto the plate; if some pieces do not make the transfer, pop them back into place.

b. transitive. To turn over (soil, earth, ground) so as to bring the lower soil to the surface by ploughing, digging, etc. In early use poetic.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > break up land [verb (transitive)] > turn over

turnc1425

to turn up1523

trench1573

to turn over1580

whelm1652

invert1712

1712 W. Oldisworth tr. Horace Odes VII. i. xxxv. 11 The Sailor and the Farmer bend to thee, They who invert the Glebe, and they who plow the Sea.

a1763 W. Shenstone Wks. Verse & Prose (1764) I. 1 Again the lab'ring hind inverts the soil.

1849 New Eng. Farmer 27 Oct. 358/1 I believe the modern plough inverts the ground as well, if not better than any other instrument whatever.

1866 G. Husmann Cultiv. Native Grape 46 I think there is no advantage in the common method of trenching or inverting the soil.

1908 G. P. Foaden & F. Fletcher Text-bk. Egyptian Agric. I. 118 Instead of a plough which inverts the soil a cultivator, which simply stirs it, is sometimes worked by this system.

1946 C. L. Englehorn Effect of Tillage on Soil & Moisture Conservation (N. Dakota Agric. Coll. Exper. Station Bull. No. 341) 6 (caption) This plot has been tilled with the moldboard plow. The soil has been inverted and practically no plant residues have been left on the surface.

2008 H. Blanco & R. Lal Princ. Soil Conservation & Managem. viii. 219 Conventional tillage..refers to practices that invert and mix the soil.

IV. To turn inside out, and related senses.

16. Medicine and Surgery.

a. transitive. To cause (a part of the body) to be turned inside out or outside in; to cause inversion of (see inversion n. 20). Also in passive without reference to an agent: to be inside out or outside in.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert [verb (transitive)] > turn inside out

turn?c1475

evert1578

to turn outa1585

invert1598

flipe1788

the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments removing or dispersing matter > remove or disperse [verb (transitive)] > purge > using specific substance

jalapa1777

invert1796

1598 A. M. tr. J. Guillemeau Frenche Chirurg. vi. ii. f. 28^v/2 The vayne must be pearced in the middle, without wholye cuttinge a sunder of the same. Because her lippes, might chaunce to be inverted inwardes.

1615 H. Crooke Μικροκοσμογραϕια 249 A kinde of yard..which they say is the necke of the wombe if it be inuerted.

1656 J. Smith Compl. Pract. Physick 131 The Ey-lid inverted may be rubbed with Fig-leaves.

1754 New & Compl. Dict. Arts & Sci. III. 2563/1 Prolapsus ani, is such a prolapsion of the intestinum rectum, that it is frequently inverted, or prolapsed to such a degree both in adults and infants, as to appear near a handbreadth hanging out of its natural situation.

1796 E. Darwin Zoonomia II. 739 If the dose of alcohol is greater, it inverts the stomach, producing the drunken sickness.

1800 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 3 463 If a portion is strongly adherent to the uterus, we may by this force invert the uterus.

1848 C. D. Meigs Females & their Dis. xviii. 232 You might as well try to invert one of the non-gravid uteri on my lecture-room table as to reposit this one.

2011 S. P. Brinsko et al. Man. Equine Reprod. (ed. 3) xv. 237/1 The sutured edges are inverted into the rectal lumen.

b. intransitive. Of a part of the body: to turn inside out or outside in; to undergo inversion (inversion n. 20).

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert or turn over [verb (intransitive)]

invert1801

to turn over1845

roll1929

1801 [implied in: T. Denman Introd. Pract. Midwifery (ed. 3) xv. 515 The recession of the inverting uterus was mistaken for its contraction.].

1816 Eclectic Repertory & Analyt. Rev. 6 120 The probability is..very great, that there was a predisposition in the uterus to invert.

1897 Edinb. Med. Jrnl. 2 55 I at once passed my hand into the vagina, and found the uterus inverting.

1906 Calif. Med. & Surg. Reporter 2 779/2 Instrumental delivery under anesthesia where the uterus inverted as the placenta was delivered.

1966 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 12 Feb. 401/1 It was also the non-gravid horn [of the uterus] which probably inverted in two other cases.

1989 Jet 28 Aug. 31/2 He theorized ‘mechanical stresses on the eyelids during labor and delivery may cause the eyelids to invert’.

2007 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 4 Feb. (You Mag.) 73 The uterus itself may invert and appear outside the body.

17. Geometry.

a. transitive. To transform (a geometric figure) by inversion (inversion n. 23).

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > arithmetic or algebraic operations > transformation > be transformed [verb (intransitive)]

invert1843

1843 London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 23 340 We invert the line DO into a circle and the curve into the inverse focal ellipse whose equation is r = k (1 − e cos ω).

1922 Amer. Math. Monthly 29 348 When an equilateral hyperbola is inverted about a point not on it, the transform is a bicircular quartic with a singular point at the center of inversion.

2003 C. Kimberling Geom. in Action iv. 78 Let W be the line tangent to the circle at P, and invertW.

b. intransitive. Of a geometric figure: to be transformed by inversion (inversion n. 23) into another figure.

ΚΠ

1865 R. Townsend Chapters on Mod. Geom. II. xxiv. 384 Every two circles invert into two whose radii have a constant ratio from every point on any third circle coaxal with themselves.

1916 J. L. Coolidge Treat. Circle & Sphere i. 22 Points within the circle of inversion other than the centre will invert into points without, points without will always invert into points within.

2012 J. Barnes Gems Geom. (ed. 2) vii. 173 Spheres invert into spheres except that a sphere through the centre of inversion inverts into a plane.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	invert
释义	invertn.¹ Brit. /ˈɪnvəːt/, U.S. /ˈɪnˌvərt/ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: invert v. Etymology: < invert v.In sense 3 after inversion n. 10, inverted adj. 7; compare pervert n. 2. 1. Civil Engineering. a. A structure in the form of an inverted arch, typically constructed to provide support for the sides or floor or a tunnel, sewer, canal, etc. Now somewhat rare, or as merged into sense 1b.Now largely superseded by modern building techniques. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > architecture > arch > [noun] > other types of arch bowOE craba1387 cove1511 triumphal arch (arc)a1566 straight arch1663 pointed arch1688 rough arch1693 jack-arch1700 oxi1700 raking arch1711 flat arch1715 scheme-arch1725 counter-arch1726 ox-eye arch1736 surbased dome1763 ogee1800 rising arch1809 sub-arch1811 deaf arch1815 four-centred arch1815 mixed arch1815 Tudor arch1815 camber1823 lancet arch1823 invert1827 platband1828 pier arch1835 ogive1841 scoinson arch1842 segment1845 skew arch1845 drop-arch1848 equilateral arch1848 lancet1848 rear arch1848 straining-arch1848 tierceron1851 shouldered arch1853 archlet1862 segment-arch1887 1827 A. Jamieson Dict. Mech. Sci. I. 713/1 The average thickness of the walls..where there is no invert, would require to be one-third of the width of the lock. 1862 S. Smiles Lives Engineers III. 314 These walls were further supported by a strong invert,—that is, an arch placed in an inverted position under the road,—thus binding together the walls on both sides. 1905 Irrigation Conf. Simla 1904 I. xxxvi. 154 The structure was founded on a slab of concrete; the enormous pressure of the piers being distributed evenly over the slab by means of inverts. 1920 Railway Engineer Aug. 350/2 The holes were..grouted and encased in long concrete buttresses, some of which were replaced by inverts supporting the permanent arch roof. 1984 D. Beckett Stephenson's Brit. iii. 95 The excavation below the rock was not inherently stable and thus massive retaining walls were required, with inverts constructed beneath the tracks to achieve stability. b. A structure forming the lowest part or bottom of a sewer, tunnel, drain, etc. Hence: the lowest point on the interior surface of a pipe, drain, channel, etc. Frequently in invert level (see explanation in quot. 2000).Originally a contextual use of sense 1a. ΚΠ 1835 Questions Connected with Archit. (Inst. Brit. Architects) 10 The arch [sc. of a sewer] is in two half brick rings; the invert on the contrary one whole brick.., or composed of lumps put together in cement. 1873 B. Latham Sanitary Engin. 99 The flat invert formed a better footway for the men..than the sharp curves of the invert of the ordinary oval sewer. 1880 Minutes Proc. Inst. Civil Engineers 61 147 The invert level at the outfall at the sea-wall..is 4.9 feet above Ordnance datum, and 12.8 feet at the point where it joins the old sewer. 1906 Engineering–Contracting 10 Oct. 92/1 In constructing sewers with concrete inverts at Haverhill, Mass, in 1905, use was made of the traveling form or mold shown in the drawings. 1946 E. E. Seelye Data Bk. Civil Engineers II. Gloss. 268/2 Invert, originally, the inverted arch of a masonry-lined sewer. By derivation, the floor, bottom, or lowest point in the internal cross section of a sewer. 1947 L. B. Escritt Sewerage Design & Specif. i. 141 [In U-shaped sewers], the invert is semi-circular, or flat and swept up at a sharp radius to join the sides. 1960 Jrnl. Water Pollution Control Federation 32 218 a (advt.) Chemical wastes have no effect on concrete sewers when inverts are lined with T-Lock Amer-Plate. 2000 D. Butler & J. Davies Urban Drainage vii. 110 The invert of a pipe refers to the lowest point on the inside of the pipe. The invert level is the vertical distance of the invert above some fixed level or datum. †2. Telegraphy. An insulator in which the groove which carries the wire runs along the top, rather than the sides. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1863 R. S. Culley Handbk. Pract. Telegr. iv. 61 A tube or double cone surrounding the wire, and supported at its centre, must be double the length of an insulator fixed at its end (such as an invert) to be equally effective. 1876 W. H. Preece & J. Sivewright Telegraphy 224 An effort is at present being made to introduce a form of invert in which the bolt passes nearly to the top of the insulating material. 3. Chiefly Psychology and Psychoanalysis in early use. A person with sexual feelings or other psychological characteristics regarded as contrary to those considered normal or typical for their sex, or as characteristic of a person of the opposite sex; spec. a homosexual person, esp. a man. More fully sexual invert. Cf. inversion n. 10, inverted adj. 7. Now rare or historical (disused in technical contexts, and often considered offensive in general use).Late 19th- and early 20th-cent. descriptions and discussions of ‘the invert’ by psychologists frequently dealt with feelings and behaviour that would now be related to questions of gender identity rather than sexual orientation, but for much of the 20th cent. the word in this sense was often used—particularly by non-specialists—to refer to homosexual men and women.In quot. 1911 perhaps in weakened sense: an effete or effeminate man. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual orientation > homosexuality > [noun] > a homosexual person urning1883 invert1892 homosexual1894 Uranist1895 homosexualist1898 Uranian1908 intersexualc1910 homoerotic1915 homo1923 one of those1927 freak1941 homophile1945 gay1953 consenting adult1957 minty1957 lesbigays1992 1892 H. Ellis Let. 1 July in S. Brady J. A. Symonds & Homosexuality (2012) 223 You speak (as I should.) of sex. [i.e. sexual] inverts as ‘abnormal natures’. 1892 J. A. Symonds Let. 29 Dec. in S. Brady J. A. Symonds & Homosexuality (2012) 237 I do not believe that legislation can affect the percentage of persons born inverts. 1897 H. Ellis & J. A. Symonds Sexual Inversion 12 Like many modern inverts he [sc. Julius Caesar] was accustomed carefully to shave his skin. 1911 R. W. Chambers Common Law i. 29 This world is full of pale, enraptured artists;..full of unwashed little inverts. 1937 Washington Post 3 Mar. 9/1 Hugh is not a sexual invert, although the pale and timid minister, Father Bonteen, quivers and weakens with love at the sight of [him]. 1966 J. R. Cavanagh (title) Counseling the Invert. 1973 Times 10 July 3/3 To lump all homosexuals together as perverts, degenerates, inverts, or other pseudo-scientific terms which were only a guise for disapproval, did not help. 1997 M. Gibson in V. A. Rosario Sci. & Homosexualities 123 Further evidence of the masculinity of the invert was found in the fact that only feminine men would ever be attracted to her. 2006 Kingston (Jamaica) Gleaner 4 June g 5/3 What excites the media and public is scandal and homosexuality. So what if only about three per cent of men are inverts? 4. Philately. A postage stamp having all or part of its design printed upside down in error, often highly valued for its rarity. ΚΠ 1902 Mekeel's Stamp Collector 13 Jan. 11/2 A banking concern..discovered after they had used for postage thirty-five out of a sheet of one hundred 1c Pan-American stamps, that the steamer was printed upside down in the center. The sixty-five inverts thereupon came upon the market. 1941 H. J. Reilly Secret Better Health xviii. 139 I know persons who pursue ill-health as avidly as any stamp collector ever chased a rare invert. 1990 Stamp Monthly Mar. 79/3 (advt.) A stamp dealer rescued his three inverts from a flood when the Susquehanna River broke through a dike. 2013 N.Y. Times 7 Oct. (Late ed.) a17/1 Mr. Robey..resold his full sheet of 100 inverts to a dealer and bought himself a new house with the proceeds. 5. Sport (esp. in skateboarding and snowboarding). An aerial manoeuvre involving turning upside down; (sometimes) spec. = hand plant n. (b) at hand n. Compounds 6. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > skateboarding > [noun] > technique or stunt slalom1976 wheelie1976 kick flip1977 wedeling1977 invert1979 ollie1979 air1984 nose-pick1988 1979 Sun (San Bernardino, Calif.) 17 Apr. b11/3 Bowl riding is strictly skateboard, and the jargon describing the stunts performed here can make you think you're in another world. There's rock and rolls and inverts.., grinders and wheelers. 1988 U.S.A. Gymnastics Sept. 43/1 A set marked by..a full-twisting front-recatch from the inverts. 1991 R. King Rad Boards v. 21/1 If you hang around good skateboarders, maybe you'll see a really good one do ‘inverts’, or ‘hand plants’. 2000 Brit. Waterskier Sept. 26/2 Jack's arsenal of inverts and spins. 2013 H. Teter & T. Schultz Mastering Snowboarding 132 Back flips..are actually one of the easiest and least scary inverts to try. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). invertn.² Brit. /ˈɪnvəːt/, U.S. /ˈɪnˌvərt/ Origin: Formed within English, by clipping or shortening. Etymon: invert sugar n. at invert adj. Compounds Etymology: Short for invert sugar n. at invert adj. Compounds. Compare earlier invert adj. 2, inverted sugar n. at inverted adj. and n. Compounds. A mixture of glucose and fructose obtained by the hydrolysis of sucrose, used esp. in food processing and brewing; = invert sugar n. at invert adj. Compounds. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > additive > sweetener > [noun] > sugar > invert sugar saccharum1671 invert sugar1864 invert1910 1910 Encycl. Brit. IV. 508/2 This method is more suited to the preparation of invert in the brewery itself than the acid process. 1971 J. S. Hough et al. Malting & Brewing Sci. xi. 296 The solid invert can be added directly to the copper or dissolved in liquor before addition. 2010 P. Hull Glucose Syrups App. C 325 There are several different grades of invert, depending upon how far the sucrose has been inverted. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). invertn.³ Brit. /ˈɪnvəːt/, U.S. /ˈɪnˌvərt/ Origin: Formed within English, by clipping or shortening. Etymon: invertebrate n. Etymology: Shortened < invertebrate n. colloquial. Chiefly in plural. An invertebrate. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > invertebrates > [noun] > invertebrate insect1601 beastie1820 invertebrate1826 evertebrate1876 macro-invertebrate1956 invert1965 1965 S. A. Moss Feeding Mechanisms Three Sharks 111 (table) Behavior observed... Feeds mainly on benthic inverts. 1992 Pract. Fishkeeping Mar. 84/2 We have a three foot tank which we would like to add supplementary filtration to, so that it can house inverts as well as fish. 2018 Exeter Express & Echo (Nexis) 18 Jan. 26 [He]..has display tanks full of colourful coldwater, tropical and marine fish along with freshwater shrimp, corals and inverts. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). invertadj. Brit. /ˈɪnvəːt/, U.S. /ˈɪnˌvərt/ Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly formed within English, by clipping or shortening. Partly formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: inverted adj., invert v. Etymology: Partly shortened < inverted adj., and partly (in later use) directly < invert v. Compare earlier enversed adj., inverse adj. 1. Inverted, inverse (in various senses). Somewhat rare.See also invert soap n. at Compounds. ΚΠ 1661 Ενιαυτος Τεραστιος: Mirabilis Annus liv. 36 There was also to be seen an invert piece of a Rain-bow very bright and of Orient colours. 1867 E. B. Bright Lardner's Electr. Telegr. (new ed.) v. 62 Vulcanised india-rubber, or ebonite, has also been moulded into the cup or invert form. 1945 Proc. Amer. Diabetes Assoc. 5 124 Best, Campbell and Haist report an interesting invert relationship between the fasting blood sugar level and the concentration of insulin in the pancreas of the pituitary injected dog. 1973 Studies 62 366 The invert forms of nationalism which caused havoc in Europe. 1992 L. Stuckey 101 Trad. Christmas Gifts iii. 61/2 Make an invert pleat at each side of the bag by creasing down the length of the side panels in the middle. 2017 @TheMehOffice 28 Sept. in twitter.com (O.E.D. Archive) She clearly thinks she's something special but whole piece smacks of anti-intellectualism, invert snobbery & plain old fashioned sexism. 2. Of sucrose or a solution of it: that has been hydrolysed resulting in conversion into glucose and fructose (see invert v. 6); = inverted adj. 6.Chiefly in invert sugar (see Compounds), invert syrup. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > carbohydrates > sugars > [adjective] > inverted inverted1845 invert1864 1864 Amer. Jrnl. Pharmacy 36 112 Wild honey (Heidhonig) contained only invert sugar. 1881 J. Bell Anal. & Adulteration Foods 99 Cane-syrups show a greater tendency than beet-syrups to become acid and pass into the invert form of sugar in the process of boiling down. 1885 34th Ann. Rep. Indiana State Board Agric. 1884 433 A mixture of about equal parts of invert syrup and starch glucose. 1916 A. P. Mathews Physiol. Chem. (ed. 2) ii. 56 This error can be avoided by adding to the invert mixture a small amount of sodium carbonate. 1966 L. Braun Cat who could read Backwards (1986) ix. 104 The ingredients listed in small type (..lecithin and invert syrup) dampened his interest. 2007 W. P. Edwards Sci. Bakery Products iii. 106 Some people take the view that invert syrup improves the flavour of some products. Compounds invert soap n. [after German Invertseife (R. Kuhn & H.-J. Bielig 1940, in Berichte der Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 73 1080)] Chemistry a soap whose surface-active ion is a cation (rather than the more usual anion); a cationic detergent. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing agents > [noun] > soap > soapy substances saponary1684 saponule1794 invert soap1941 1941 Chem. Abstr. 35 3596 K[uhn] and B[ielig] intended to study the mechanism of the bactericidal action of Zephirol (mixt. of alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chlorides) and other quaternary ammonium, sulfonium and phosphonium salts by means of expts. on the interaction of these ‘invert soaps’..with proteins, chromoproteids, ferments, symplexes and genes. 1966 L. O. Smith & S. J. Cristol Org. Chem. xl. 765 Cationic detergents or invert soaps are used mainly for germicidal properties. 2015 R. J. Ouellette & J. D. Rawn Org. Chem. Study Guide xxiii. 468 Quaternary ammonium salts containing one long carbon chain are invert soaps because their polar end is positively charged in contrast to a negative charge on soaps. invert sugar n. a mixture of glucose and fructose obtained by the hydrolysis of sucrose, used esp. in food processing and brewing; = inverted sugar n. at inverted adj. and n. Compounds. [After German Invertzucker (1859 or earlier; < invert- (in invertieren invert v.; compare invert v. 6) + Zucker sugar n.); compare slightly earlier inverted sugar n. at inverted adj. and n. Compounds. So called because of the reversal of the direction of polarization of light which occurs on hydrolysis.] ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > additive > sweetener > [noun] > sugar > invert sugar saccharum1671 invert sugar1864 invert1910 the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > carbohydrates > sugars > [noun] > inversion > sugar thus formed inverted sugar1861 invert sugar1864 1864 Amer. Jrnl. Pharmacy 36 112 Wild honey (Heidhonig) contained only invert sugar. 1885 W. Stirling tr. L. Landois Text-bk. Human Physiol. I. 296 The saliva of the horse which can also convert cane-sugar into invert sugar. 1922 J. J. Sudborough Bernthsen's Text-bk. Org. Chem. (new ed.) xiv. 329 This process is commonly spoken of as the inversion of cane-sugar, and the product as invert sugar. 2016 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 14 Oct. (Food & Drink section) Strain the infused cream into a clean saucepan, add the invert sugar and bring to the boil. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online March 2022). invertv. Brit. /ɪnˈvəːt/, U.S. /ᵻnˈvərt/ Forms: 1500s–1600s inuert, 1500s–1600s inuerte, 1500s– invert, 1600s inverte. Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin invertere. Etymology: < classical Latin invertere to turn upside down or inside out, to reverse, to turn over violently, upset, to turn round, to pervert, to reverse (an order), to cause words to convey the opposite sense (e.g. by irony), to change, alter, to paraphrase, to translate < in- in- prefix³ + vertere vert v.¹ Compare earlier inverse v. Compare also earlier reverse v.¹Compare Middle French, French invertir (1537; the more usual French verb is renverser renverse v.), Spanish invertir (a1560). Specific senses. With sense 3a compare inversion n. 4a In sense 4a after inversion n. 5. In sense 6 after inversion n. 8. In sense 7 after inversion n. 9. In sense 8 after inversion n. 11. In sense 17 after inversion n. 23. I. To reverse or transpose in order, sequence, or direction, and related senses. 1. a. transitive. To reverse or transpose (two or more things, their order, position, etc.); to turn or place (something) in a contrary direction. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > order > order, sequence, or succession > arrange in sequence or series [verb (transitive)] > reverse natural or proper order misturna1350 inverse?a1425 invert1533 transvert1552 preposterate1566 retrograde1582 rencounter1689 transverse1738 1533 T. More Debellacyon Salem & Bizance ii. xv. f. xlix Whiche thys good man dyssembleth here and inuerteth here thordre [sc. of the parts of an argument] for the nonys. 1577 H. I. tr. H. Bullinger 50 Godlie Serm. II. iv. iii. Ee.vi^v/2 This laste precept..is in deede but one, as it may be partly gathered by this order thus inuerted in the setting of it downe in two sundrie places. 1614 J. Selden Titles of Honor 67 In the Scripture you haue the very name [Hannibal] but inverted: Baal-Hanan in Gen. cap. xxxvi. 1664 J. Evelyn tr. R. Fréart Parallel Antient Archit. ii. v. 102 The three Faces of the Architrave are all inverted from the ordinary position. 1682 W. Dugdale Antient Usage 57 [The barons of le Strange] had a sheild gules, with two Lyons passant Argent... But Fulk le Strange..inverted the colours, bearing in a field Argent, two lyons passant gules. a1742 L. Twells Twenty-four Serm. (1743) I. xiv. 278 [Our Adversary] quite inverts the Series of Events in Daniel. 1762 Ld. Kames Elements Crit. II. xviii. 324 By inverting the natural arrangement, and by introducing a word or member before its time..our curiosity is raised about what is to follow. 1808 L. Murray Eng. Gram. Illustr. I. iii. 201 This sentence may be inverted without changing a single word. 1871 A. S. Wilkins tr. K. Halm in Cicero Orations against Catilina 138 The..figure called chiasmus..in which the order of words in the first clause is inverted in the second. 1901 Interior (Chicago) 1 Aug. 976/1 There are boarding schools.., college preparatory schools.., [etc.], schools large and small... Suppose we invert the list and consider it item by item. First, a large school or a small school? 1942 Trans. & Proc. Amer. Philol. Assoc. 73 237 Eratosthenes improved the Platonic order [of planets] by inverting the positions of Mercury and Venus. 2008 C. A. Jones & J. Clark in S. Gopal & S. L. Tikhvinsky Hist. Humanity VII. xxvi. 410/1 Picasso's painting..inverts the colours of the French tricolour. As if hung upside-down, or seen from behind, the colours are reversed. b. transitive. To change or turn (a quality, principle, relationship, etc.) into something of opposite character or tendency; to alter or change completely in meaning or significance; to reverse the relations between; to change or alter so as to act in the opposite way. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > relationship > contrariety or contrast > be contrary to [verb (transitive)] > invert turna1200 invert?1536 ?1536 tr. Erasmus Serm. Chylde Jesus ii. sig. B.vii^v This chylde hathe inuerted all order of thinges... The wysdom of the aged is destroyed.., and children be replenyshed with wysdom. 1592 A. Day Eng. Secretorie (rev. ed.) i. sig. L3^v To inuert the good also therein being, vnto a worser part. 1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage 631 Thus is all inverted, many Kings, and few subjects. 1679 W. Simpson Hist. Scarbrough-spaw 45 [The disease of Melancholy] perverts the Phansie, sometimes inverting the regular Idea's thereof. 1689 C. Mather Work upon Ark Introd. sig. A3^v Printing.., Powder.., and the Load Stone..have in a manner turn'd the World upside down, and inverted all the affairs of it. 1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 225. ⁋1 A set of People who invert the Design of Conversation. 1822 W. Hazlitt Table-talk (1869) 2nd Ser. xviii. 368 The principle of economy is inverted. 1874 L. Stephen Hours in Libr. 1st Ser. 328 The old-fashioned canons of poetical justice are inverted. 1881 B. F. Westcott & F. J. A. Hort New Test. in Orig. Greek II. Introd. ii. 28 The relative attractiveness of conflicting readings becomes inverted by careful study. 1930 N.Y. Herald Tribune 19 Oct. v. 6/7 Today the situation has been inverted, and we need a revolution of opinion corresponding to the shifting from workers' liability for accidents to employers' liability. 1972 L. A. Hieb in A. Ortiz New Perspectives Pueblos 165 They [sc. ritual clowns] reverse, invert, and transpose the normal meaning..of culture and society. 2006 Guardian 1 June (Technology section) 4/1 The meaning of ‘sick’ has been inverted to ‘very good’ in much the same way as wicked became good years ago. c. transitive. To perform, carry out, or employ (a method, process, etc.) in a way opposite or contrary to the former or usual method. ΚΠ 1574 H. Howard Def. Eccl. Regiment in Eng. 116 Quite to inuert the ordinarie course and processe of the law, and alter the state of ciuill policie. 1649 Subjects Sorrow 16 We will a little invert the method: Begin with King Charles his divine Regall prerogatives, next shew [etc.]. 1699 T. Forrester v. 101 in Dr. Scott's Pleadings This would invert our Lords Method of Procedure. 1701 E. Gibson Let. to Friend in Country 7/1 The Lower Clergy..had inverted the proper Order of Proceedings in such Cases, and Ended where of right they ought to have Begun. 1778 J. Mudge Radical & Expeditious Cure Cough iv. 219 By inverting the treatment.., a compound facture might..be reduced to the state of a simple one. 1836 J. Backhouse Let. 7 July (1842) II. 75 We..concluded after some deliberation, to invert our plan of proceeding. 1847 W. Whewell Philos. Inductive Sci. (new ed.) I. 144 Having succeeded in this analytical process, we may invert it. 1904 Experim. Station Rec. (U.S. Dept. Agric.) Dec. 393 The author studied fluctuations in body temperature when the daily routine was inverted. 1982 New Scientist 6 May 360/2 The cladist uses his method to construct a taxonomy; the comparative adaptationist inverts the technique. 2014 Filmmaker Fall 6/1 The way most filmmakers attempt to create impact is by making a film first and then talking about the subject of their film. But what if that process was inverted? †d. intransitive. To change to the opposite; esp. to reverse or undergo reversal. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > time > change > change to something else, transformation > change of direction, reversion > revert [verb (intransitive)] > change to opposite condition contrary1489 invert?1615 swing1833 counterchange1851 ?1615 G. Chapman tr. Homer Odysses (new ed.) xvii. 61 Double not needless passion on a heart Whose joy so green is, and so apt t' invert. 1694 J. Forrest Brief Def. Old Method curing Continual Fevers 112 Can the fine Blood return? not by the Arteries, that being absolutely impossible, for grant their Motion should invert.., the three Semilunar Valves do still hinder. 1813 T. Busby in tr. Lucretius Nature of Things I. ii. Comm. p. xli Till their natures change, and their order of operation invert. 2. †a. transitive. To turn (an objection, accusation, argument, etc.) back against (also upon) the person who made it. Cf. inversion n. 1. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > refute, disprove [verb (transitive)] > by counter-charge answerOE returna1500 retort?1542 reject1553 recharge1566 contort?1567 invert1584 reband1588 recriminate1603 rebut1624 countercharge1626 occur1660 counterprove1679 1584 B. Rich Don Simonides II. sig. E.ii The learned Ciuilian hath both aunswered the Obiections were laied against hym, and inuerted them against his Aduersarie. 1631 J. Burges Answer Reioyned 221 The recrimination which..the Replyer inverts vpon our Bishops, hath more shew then substance. 1676 T. Ellwood Truth Prevailing vi. 140 I will not invert the Charge upon my Adversary (which without any Injustice to him I might do). 1707 Serious Exam. George Keith's Serious Call to Quakers 30 We have only his Ipse dixit, for proof of Error in this Case; which being justly inverted upon him, he must [etc.]. 1730 A. Smith Court Intrigues 86 Hoping the Arguments they had made use of themselves, inverted against them, might have the same Prevalency on their Honour.., as it had on them who could not by any Rhetorick evade the same. b. transitive. Chiefly literary and poetic. To turn (something, esp. one's eyes or gaze) inwards; to cause to point or face inwards. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > direction > specific directions > direct in specific directions [verb (transitive)] > direct or turn inwards invert1609 to turn in1693 1609 tr. ‘J. Ursinus’ Romane Conclaue 92 This is his persecution of Infidels, this his Croisado against Turks & Pagans, viz. To inuert christian armes against christians. 1638 T. Herbert Some Yeares Trav. (rev. ed.) 16 Skin of a Lyon, Leopard..or Sheep (the haire inverted) is as a roabe put about their shoulders. a1657 G. Daniel Poems (1878) II. 78 Invert thy Eyes and see Its State, and thy degree. 1722 J. Sterling Rival Generals ii. 21 My Eyes inverted gaze upon my Mind. 1745 J. Cutts Rebellion Defeated i. iii. 4 Your own Existence search!—behold your Frame! Invert your Eyes! inspect your wond'rous Self! 1843 J. Abbott Narr. Journey Heraut to Khiva I. xix. 258 I have never seen any silk stuffs among the Kuzauks, whose bonnet is lambskin or wolf's fur, inverted. 1869 Homœopathic Sun May 236 It is distasteful to invert our gaze and behold imperfections within. 1920 Philadelphia Inquirer 26 Mar. 15/1 Instead of looking out upon life squarely..they invert their gaze and see only what concerns themselves. 1975 C. Singh Thus saith Master (ed. 2) 341 Try to physically invert your eyes in an attempt to seek something within. 3. †a. transitive. Military. To cause (a rank of troops) to form up into a file or files. Cf. inversion n. 4a. Obsolete.In quot. 1627 intransitive with to: (of troops) to fall out of rank and into file. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > military operations > evolution > [verb (transitive)] > other evolutions invert1627 ploy1836 1627 T. Kellie Pallas Armata 61 The right and left hand File standing fast, and the rest of the Files inverting to them, for some calleth this Motion Fileing by inversion. 1635 W. Barriffe Mil. Discipl. xxxiii. 90 This following Figure of Inversion, is of Ranks filing to the right; where all the Ranks are to be inverted to the out-most file to the right. 1650 R. Elton Compl. Body Art Mil. i. lix. 53 Fire to the right by ranks wheeling... Fire to the right by ranks inverting, or filing. 1735 J. Gittins Compl. Syst. Mil. Discipline Suppl. 200 Wheel your two Ranks together into the midst, and then halt them; and then you have inverted your two Ranks into four Files. b. transitive. Military and Navy. To cause (a fighting force, line of battle, etc.) to adopt a formation in which the previous or usual order or arrangement of units, ranks, ships, etc., is reversed; to place (units, ranks, etc.) in such a formation. Cf. inversion n. 4b. Now chiefly historical.In quot. 1832 intransitive with object implied. ΚΠ 1779 Minutes Proc. Court-martial Sir Hugh Palliser 36/1 Finding that the Formidable continued upon the Starboard Tack, and that Sir Robert Harland was gone into the Rear, I formed ahead of the Victory, concluding that the Line was going to be inverted. 1788 D. Dundas Princ. Mil. Movements 86 Each division..is marching in the alignment, to return along that same line,..without inverting or altering the proper front of the line. 1832 Proposed Regulations Cavalry iii. 113 It will be better to invert by Regiments. 1870 Field Q. Nov. 274/2 The old-fashioned inverted line is all very well..; but to invert squadrons must be more or less confusing to the men, especially in the smoke and confusion of an action. 1918 H. C. Ramsey Elem. Naval Ordnance & Gunnery 376 Conditions often arise where it is necessary to invert a battalion in order that certain evolutions may be carried out. 2015 E. J. Hess Civil War Infantry Tactics vi. 104 The regiment led its brigade in moving forward by the flank until forming line only two hundred yards from the enemy, getting the ranks inverted in the process. 4. Mathematics. a. transitive. To transform (a ratio or proportion) by interchanging the antecedent and the consequent. Cf. inversion n. 5a. ΚΠ 1658 J. Collins Sector on Quadrant 40 We may find the length of the Shadow by inverting the Proportion aforesaid. 1779 A. Ewing Synopsis Pract. Math. (ed. 2) iii. 113 Lineal feet may be reduced to links of either kind, by inverting the proportions. 1848 D. Adams Arithm. 182 We invert the ratio when we reverse the order of the terms in the proportion. 1956 Astrophysical Jrnl. 124 561 We may write the ratio of longitudinal to transverse electric field, inverting the ratio so as to obtain again something proportional to z_c. 2012 Energy Policy 51 384/1 We inverted the ratio to represent the cost growth as a multiplicative factor. b. transitive. To find the inverse (inverse n. 2b) of (a function or an element of an algebraic structure). ΚΠ 1853 Proc. Royal Irish Acad. 1850–3 5 287 We might also invert the function. 1965 W. C. Krumbein & F. A. Graybill Introd. Statist. Models Geol. xiii. 345 In the span of a few years it has become commonplace to invert matrices as large as 45 × 45. 2011 J. Baggott Quantum Story v. 243 Simply by inverting the function.., the graph became a probability distribution. c. transitive. To change the dependent variable of (an equation or other mathematical expression) by rearrangement or substitution of terms. ΚΠ 1875 Astronomische Nachrichten No. 2025 132 Inverting the formulas we shall be able to find the values of v and r in terms of the time t. 1953 Econometrica 21 163 Let us consider whether it is possible to invert the equations and treat the prices as function of the quantities. 2015 P. Baudin Wireless Transceiver Archit. vii. 521 Then we would need to invert the equation to solve for G_c. d. transitive. To calculate an unknown function from (an associated integral, esp. its Laplace, Fourier, etc., transform). Cf. inversion n. 5b. ΚΠ 1886 Proc. Cambr. Philos. Soc. 1883–6 5 373 The author had considered..the complete system of functions..obtained by inverting the integrals. 1950 Physical Rev. 80 997/2 It is necessary to invert the Laplace transform. 1980 Q. Jrnl. Mech. & Appl. Math. 33 16 If we invert the Fourier transform first..then the resulting Laplace inversion is not tabulated and would need to be evaluated by contour integration. 2012 S. I. Kabanikhin Inverse & Ill-posed Probl. viii. 208 If we want to apply the methods developed for the hyperbolic case to inverse problems for parabolic equations, it can be done by inverting the Laplace transform. 5. Music. a. transitive. To vary (a melody or theme) by changing each ascending interval into the corresponding descending interval, and vice versa, leading to a reversal or mirroring of the upward and downward motion of the melody or theme. ΚΠ 1667 C. Simpson Compend. Pract. Musick v. ix. 170 You must invert the Notes as you place them in the following Part accomodating your new Descant (Bar after Bar) to the Notes so inverted. 1752 tr. J.-P. Rameau Treat. Musick (new ed.) xliv. 154 Having framed a Design or Subject, you may invert it in such a Manner, that the same Inversion which has been heard ascending, may be heard descending, and vice versa. 1785 C. Burney Acct. Musical Performances 56 Handel has manifested wonderful abilities in that fugue, by inverting a very curious and difficult subject, in all the answers. 1838 Penny Cycl. XI. 3/1 Fugue by Inversion..In this the theme is inverted. 1890 L. C. Elson Theory of Music xxii. 184 Canon in contrary motion..is where the imitating voice inverts the subject, instead of exactly repeating it. 1931 D. F. Tovey Compan. to ‘Art of Fugue’ 31 The next two fugues are tours de force, being compositions that can be inverted note for note from beginning to end. 1999 New Yorker 10 May 65/1 He bends notes down, inverts the melody, spreads out the pitches of the chords, leans on a single note while the chords change around it. 2016 B. Shute Seri Solo: Symbolum iii. 61 The lamenting exile theme is heard again after it has been decisively inverted in a way that would seem to evoke the resurrection. b. transitive. To produce (a new interval or chord) from an interval or chord by harmonic inversion (see inversion n. 6a); to change the relative position of the notes of (an interval or chord), by placing a note or notes higher (or lower), usually by a single octave. Also intransitive: to undergo harmonic inversion. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > melody or succession of sounds > melody [verb (transitive)] > melodic progression invert1737 modulate1797 society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > harmony or sounds in combination > chord > [verb (transitive)] > invert invert1737 1737 tr. J.-P. Rameau Treat. Music xxi. 65 The Second is an Interval inverted [Fr. renversé] from that of the Seventh, and consequently the Chord of the Second is inverted from the Chord of the Seventh. 1770 J. Holden Ess. Rational Syst. Music 104/2 Dissonances by suspension are rarely inverted. 1837 J. A. Hamilton tr. L. Cherubini Course of Counterpoint & Fugue I. xl. 343 In a fugue.., all the imitations..ought to be made in the same interval as the answer itself, or else in the fourth, which is only a fifth inverted. 1916 P. W. Orem Harmony Bk. vii. 26 Inverting a Major Interval produces a Minor; a Minor, a Major, etc.; but inverting a Perfect Interval produces another Perfect Interval. 1957 Music & Lett. 38 200 When the sevenths invert, he too goes head over heels with excitement. a1985 B. Fleet in I. Gitler Swing to Bop (1987) ii. 70 I'd play the original chords to the tune, and I'd invert 'em every one, two, three, or four beats. 2018 Daily Lobo (Univ. New Mexico) (Nexis) 26 Mar. 1 I used chords made of certain intervals and then inverted them throughout the piece. c. transitive. To vary (a piece of counterpoint) by altering the relative placement of the parts or voices, so that the higher part or parts are placed below the lower, or vice versa; to transpose (parts or voices) within a piece of counterpoint.Cf. invertible counterpoint n. at invertible adj.² Compounds. ΚΠ ?a1778 tr. J. J. Fux Pract. Rules Learning Composition v. 35 The Counterpoint is to be inverted thus, that the Treble Part may come to be placed in the Duodecime below it, and Canto fermo to remain in its place. ?a1778 tr. J. J. Quantz Easy Instr. Extempore Embellishments 27 If in either of these Examples we should invert the Parts, i.e. change them, thus, that the uppermost becomes the lowermost & vice versa, a succession of Thirds will follow. 1825 J. F. Danneley Encycl. Music at Triple Counterpoint Each counterpoint, properly conducted, may be inverted in six ways. 1873 H. C. Banister Music xxxii. 152 The student should complete the examples..; and, likewise, invert the parts in all other ways. 1960 Revue Belge de Musicologie 1 17 The emphasis upon thirds and tenths is caused by the need to invert the parts. 1994 W. Renwick Analyzing Fugue v. 140 This is a good example of invertible counterpoint at the tenth..as a means of inverting a counterpoint that is not amenable to inversion at the octave. 2002 P. Schubert in T. Christensen Cambr. Hist. Western Music Theory xvi. 514 If two voices are to be inverted at the twelfth.., the original combination must contain no sixths in strong metrical positions. 6. transitive. Chemistry. To hydrolyse (sucrose) to form glucose and fructose, thereby changing the optical activity of its solution from dextrorotatory to laevorotatory; to change (the optical activity of a sucrose solution) in this way. Also intransitive: to undergo such hydrolysis. Cf. inversion n. 8a, inverted adj. 6. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > carbohydrates > sugars > to convert starch into sugar [verb (transitive)] > to invert invert1845 1845 Chem. Anal. Sugar, Molasses, &c. 28 in U.S. Congress. Serial Set (28th Congr., 1st Sess.: House of Representatives Treasury Doc. 146) IV Fermentation inverts the rotary power of cane sugar. 1864 H. Watts Dict. Chem. II. 856 Honey..contains cane-sugar (which is gradually inverted by keeping), inverted sugar, and an excess of dextroglucose. 1887 Cent. Mag. Nov. 114/1 He seeks to keep the temperature down to 130°. If it is too high some of the sucrose will ‘invert’ or ‘caramel’ into glucose. 1899 J. Cagney tr. R. von Jaksch Clin. Diagnosis (ed. 4) v. 162 Hoffman has availed himself of the property which HCl. possesses of inverting cane-sugar, i.e., of breaking it up into dextrose and lævulose. 1977 R. W. Bohall et al. Sugar Industry's Struct., Pricing, & Performance 27 Liquid sugar users cannot safely store liquid sugar for much more than 30 days without the risk of the sucrose inverting into its components—dextrose and fructose. 2010 P. Hull Glucose Syrups App. C 325 There are several different grades of invert, depending upon how far the sucrose has been inverted. 7. transitive. Logic. To change (a proposition) by inversion; to obtain the inverse of (a proposition). See inversion n. 9. Now rare.In quot. 1891 intransitive with passive meaning. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > logic > logical proposition > [verb (transitive)] > obtain the reverse of invert1890 1890 E. E. C. Jones Elem. Logic xix. 147 Only Coincidental Categoricals can be converted, contraverted, retroverted, or inverted. 1891 J. Welton Man. Logic I. iii. iii. 304 (margin) SeP inverts to SiP by converting the Obv[erte]d Converse. 1918 Dublin Exam. Papers for 1917 457 What is the ‘inverse’ of a categorical proposition? Why is it not possible to invert all propositions? 1982 J. M. Nyasani Introd. Trad. Logic vi. 76 In inverting the A proposition.., you start with obversion and then conversion and then carry on with alternating the two until you attain the final result. 8. intransitive. Chemistry and Mineralogy. Of a solid substance: to undergo transformation into a different form. Cf. inversion n. 11. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > chemistry > physical chemistry > phases > [verb (intransitive)] > inversion invert1907 1907 Science 23 Aug. 290 The hexahydrate of calcium chloride inverts to the tetrahydrate, in presence of an excess of sodium chloride. 1933 Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 225 284 It would..be possible for β-solid solutions to invert to the γ-form. 1979 R. Anderton et al. Dynamic Stratigr. Brit. Isles v. 57/2 Eventually the cristobalite inverts to the stable cryptocrystalline quartz (chert). 2004 W. D. Nesse Introd. Optical Mineral. (ed. 3) xv. 270/1 Aragonite commonly inverts to its polymorph calcite. 9. transitive. Telecommunications. To subject (a signal) to a process that reverses the order of the component frequencies (either completely or in a restricted range), thus scrambling it for transmission. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > communication > telecommunication > [verb (transitive)] > invert invert1920 1920 Literary Digest 10 Jan. 27/2 The principal element of the apparatus consists of a rotating commutator which rotates and inverts the current. 1966 McGraw-Hill Encycl. Sci. & Technol. (rev. ed.) X. 624/2 The first method employs equipment for inverting speech to make overseas telephone conversations unintelligible to the casual listener. II. To divert, deflect, or transfer, and related senses. †10. transitive. To distort (a text, argument, action, etc.) from the correct meaning or intent; to pervert, misconstrue, or misrepresent. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > misinterpretation > distortion or perversion of meaning > pervert or distort [verb (transitive)] crooka1340 deprave1382 pervertc1390 strainc1449 drawc1450 miswrest?a1475 bewrya1522 wry?1521 to make a Welshman's hose ofa1529 writhea1533 wrest1533 invert1534 wring?1541 depravate1548 rack1548 violent1549 wrench1549 train1551 wreathe1556 throw1558 detorta1575 shuffle1589 wriggle1593 distortc1595 to put, set, place, etc. on the rack1599 twine1600 wire-draw1610 monstrify1617 screw1628 corrupt1630 gloss1638 torture1648 force1662 vex1678 refract1700 warp1717 to put a force upon1729 twist1821 ply1988 1534 G. Gardynare Let. Yonge Gentylman f. xviii^v Howe canne you wyth all your gloses inuerte thys from hys corporall presence? 1548 J. Véron Certayne Litel Treat. sig. A.iiii^v The dyuell from y^e begynnyng..dyd study, laboure and endeuore hym selfe, to inuerte, deprauate, and wraste the scriptures of god, to make them doubtfull and of no autorytye amonge men. 1587 W. Harrison Hist. Descr. Iland Brit. (new ed.) ii. xix. 205/2 in Holinshed's Chron. (new ed.) I This act of his [sc. King John's] was so ill taken by the religious.., that they inuerted his intent herein to another end; affirming most slanderouslie how he did it..to impouerish..the north part of the realme. 1603 F. Dillingham Quartron of Reasons Vnquartered 92 He doth rent in peeces the text of Doctors, and inuerteth the sense of the same. 1659 Eng. Anatomized 4 They have inverted the Text, and are worse than Infidells. 1776 J. Rawlins 2nd Diss. Heretical Opinions 15 Those who torture, and, as it were, invert the Scriptures, by preferring the Inventions of Men. †11. transitive. To transfer (a word or words) from a literal to a figurative or symbolic meaning for literary effect; to use in a metaphorical sense, or with allegorical meaning. Cf. inversion n. 18. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > figure of speech > figures of meaning > express with figure of meaning [verb (transitive)] > express metaphorically or figuratively > use metaphorically or figuratively translate1534 invert1589 transfer1592 tropologize1678 1589 G. Puttenham Arte Eng. Poesie iii. xvi. 150 Ye see that these words, source, shop, flud, sugred, are inuerted from their owne signification to another, not altogether so naturall, but of much affinitie with it. †12. transitive. To divert or deflect (money, supplies, etc.) from its proper use or purpose; to pervert to another use. Later also (without construction): to misappropriate or embezzle. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > misuse > [verb (transitive)] > misapply > pervert miswendc1325 misturna1382 pervertc1390 transpose1509 wrestc1530 bend1531 crooken1552 intervert1603 invert1603 1603 P. Holland tr. Plutarch Morals 930 Neither could any man..accuse him for robbing the State, or inverting any thing to his own use. 1670 R. Coke Disc. Trade 18 In being committed prisoners, the means which is thereby spent in paying Fees to Jaylors, is inverted from that end to which it might have been imployed towards the Payment of his Debts. 1678 G. Mackenzie Laws & Customes Scotl. xxxv. 348 There can be no greater injury done to His Majesties Government, then to abstract or invert his money, which is the nerves, not only of War, but of all power. 13. †a. transitive. To appropriate, confiscate, or cause to relinquish (property). Obsolete. ΚΠ 1643 (title) By the King. A proclamation against the oppression of the clergy by the intrusion of factious and schismaticall persons into their cures, and inverting and detaining their tithes and possessions by orders of one or both Houses of Parliament. 1686 G. Mackenzie Observ. Acts Parl. 417 Government does so far Influence Property, that all Lawyers are of opinion, that the Prince may, for a just Cause, invert or take away Property. 1731 A. Hill Athelwold iii. 32 Detected Treason Inverts the vanquish'd Traitor's Property, and he and his lost Blood are Forfeits, all. b. transitive. Scots Law. To alienate, transfer, or encroach upon (property rights). Originally and chiefly in to invert possession and variants. Now somewhat rare.Often (and now usually) with reference to the use by a tenant of a rented property for a purpose not permitted by his or her lease. ΚΠ 1681 J. Dalrymple Inst. Law Scotl. ix. 106 Possessours invert their Masters Possession, and pay their Rents to another. 1695 in Fountainhall's Decisions (1759) I. 679 The Lords..would not summarily invert the Town of Edinburgh's possession. 1749 Information for Sir R. Gordon against A. Dunbar 6 It was not in the Power of the Patron to invert the Parson's Possession by an Allocation of a Stipend upon the Teinds. 1781 A. Ld. Macdonald against N. Macleod: Appellant's Case 12 That the Bernera Tenants possessed it..without Molestation, yet that cannot invert the Title of Property inherent in the Family of Macdonald. 1849 Rep. Supreme Courts Scotl. 21 160/1 Mr. Dixon, by widening the gauge [sc. of a tram-railway] is inverting the possession; and the Trustees may now say this is more than using a tolerance—it is claiming a right. 1878 Jrnl. Jurispr. 22 494 Damages are due if a tenant does not take possession, or inverts possession. 1906 Scotsman 12 Mar. 10/2 What the Magistrates proposed to do was to invert the state of possession. 1956 Banffshire Jrnl. 27 Nov. 8 The defender had inverted possession by erecting the three poles. 2014 Sc. Case Digests (CSIH 51) (Lexis) 3 June What the respondent was actually seeking to do was invert the possession on the strength of an apparent title, which turned out to be unfounded. III. To turn upside down, and related senses. †14. transitive. To overthrow (an institution, government, society, etc.); to overturn completely (an established custom, practice, right, etc.); to upset; to subvert. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > authority > lack of subjection > rebelliousness > revolution > make revolutionary in character [verb (transitive)] > overthrow upturna1340 overturna1382 subvert1474 invert1548 overthrow1567 wrake1570 revolve1609 to pull down1625 overset1679 1548 E. Gest Treat. againste Masse sig. Kvii^v Inuert & subuert the ryght institution & vsage of y^e sacrament of christes body & bloud. 1571 Disc. tviching Estait sig. Bvi Meitar wald ze say to inuert all and cut the Kingis throt? 1588 J. Udall State Church of Eng. sig. F^v All that I saye or desire, is not to inuert any thing in the state that is good. 1648 Hunting of Fox 36 The designe to invert and subvert both Church and Commonwealth. 1687 A. Shields Hind let Loose 211 Antichristian Poperie, which have overturned His Government, inverted His Lawes, subverted His Officiers, & Perverted His Ordinances. 1706 D. Defoe Jure Divino Pref. p. v Who shall invade the Property of the Subject, invert the Publick Justice, or overthrow the Religion and Liberty of England. 15. a. transitive. To turn or place (a thing, or occasionally a person) upside down; to turn over. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert [verb (transitive)] to-wendc893 whelvec1000 to turn down?c1335 to turn up?c1335 whelmc1340 overturna1382 to turn overa1400 wholve14.. inverse?a1425 reverse?a1425 overwhelvec1450 overvolvea1522 transverse1557 evert1566 topsy-turn1573 topsy-turve1603 invert1610 upturn1610 whave1611 topsy-turvy1626 whemmel1684 cant1850 upend1868 flip-flop1924 1610 Bp. J. Hall Common Apol. against Brownists xlvi. 111 Perhaps you haue espied some old dustie statue..or..halfe a Crucifixe inuerted in a Church-window, and these you surely noted for English Idols. 1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper i. 44 Others inverted with feet upward, and head downward, and a fire being underneath, were so smoaked and suffocated to death. 1754 B. Martin Introd. Eng. Lang. & Learning 180 The Barometer.., by which the Weight of the Air is shewn, by suspending a Column of Mercury in a Glass Tube inverted in a Bason of the same Fluid. a1774 O. Goldsmith Surv. Exper. Philos. (1776) II. iii. vii. 326 This telescope inverts the image... By adding two glasses more, the image may be seen upright. 1800 tr. E. J. B. Bouillon-Lagrange Man. Course Chem. I. 47 If you place a card on a glass filled with water, and invert the glass, the water will not escape. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. iv. 35 The coast line was inverted by atmospheric refraction. 1900 S. P. Sadtler Hand-bk. Industr. Org. Chem. (ed. 3) 207 When the cork is three-fourth parts out he quickly inverts the bottle. 2017 Daily Herald (Chicago) 27 Sept. iv. 4/1 Carefully invert the pan to transfer the tarte Tatin onto the plate; if some pieces do not make the transfer, pop them back into place. b. transitive. To turn over (soil, earth, ground) so as to bring the lower soil to the surface by ploughing, digging, etc. In early use poetic. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > break up land [verb (transitive)] > turn over turnc1425 to turn up1523 trench1573 to turn over1580 whelm1652 invert1712 1712 W. Oldisworth tr. Horace Odes VII. i. xxxv. 11 The Sailor and the Farmer bend to thee, They who invert the Glebe, and they who plow the Sea. a1763 W. Shenstone Wks. Verse & Prose (1764) I. 1 Again the lab'ring hind inverts the soil. 1849 New Eng. Farmer 27 Oct. 358/1 I believe the modern plough inverts the ground as well, if not better than any other instrument whatever. 1866 G. Husmann Cultiv. Native Grape 46 I think there is no advantage in the common method of trenching or inverting the soil. 1908 G. P. Foaden & F. Fletcher Text-bk. Egyptian Agric. I. 118 Instead of a plough which inverts the soil a cultivator, which simply stirs it, is sometimes worked by this system. 1946 C. L. Englehorn Effect of Tillage on Soil & Moisture Conservation (N. Dakota Agric. Coll. Exper. Station Bull. No. 341) 6 (caption) This plot has been tilled with the moldboard plow. The soil has been inverted and practically no plant residues have been left on the surface. 2008 H. Blanco & R. Lal Princ. Soil Conservation & Managem. viii. 219 Conventional tillage..refers to practices that invert and mix the soil. IV. To turn inside out, and related senses. 16. Medicine and Surgery. a. transitive. To cause (a part of the body) to be turned inside out or outside in; to cause inversion of (see inversion n. 20). Also in passive without reference to an agent: to be inside out or outside in. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert [verb (transitive)] > turn inside out turn?c1475 evert1578 to turn outa1585 invert1598 flipe1788 the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments removing or dispersing matter > remove or disperse [verb (transitive)] > purge > using specific substance jalapa1777 invert1796 1598 A. M. tr. J. Guillemeau Frenche Chirurg. vi. ii. f. 28^v/2 The vayne must be pearced in the middle, without wholye cuttinge a sunder of the same. Because her lippes, might chaunce to be inverted inwardes. 1615 H. Crooke Μικροκοσμογραϕια 249 A kinde of yard..which they say is the necke of the wombe if it be inuerted. 1656 J. Smith Compl. Pract. Physick 131 The Ey-lid inverted may be rubbed with Fig-leaves. 1754 New & Compl. Dict. Arts & Sci. III. 2563/1 Prolapsus ani, is such a prolapsion of the intestinum rectum, that it is frequently inverted, or prolapsed to such a degree both in adults and infants, as to appear near a handbreadth hanging out of its natural situation. 1796 E. Darwin Zoonomia II. 739 If the dose of alcohol is greater, it inverts the stomach, producing the drunken sickness. 1800 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 3 463 If a portion is strongly adherent to the uterus, we may by this force invert the uterus. 1848 C. D. Meigs Females & their Dis. xviii. 232 You might as well try to invert one of the non-gravid uteri on my lecture-room table as to reposit this one. 2011 S. P. Brinsko et al. Man. Equine Reprod. (ed. 3) xv. 237/1 The sutured edges are inverted into the rectal lumen. b. intransitive. Of a part of the body: to turn inside out or outside in; to undergo inversion (inversion n. 20). ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > inversion > invert or turn over [verb (intransitive)] invert1801 to turn over1845 roll1929 1801 [implied in: T. Denman Introd. Pract. Midwifery (ed. 3) xv. 515 The recession of the inverting uterus was mistaken for its contraction.]. 1816 Eclectic Repertory & Analyt. Rev. 6 120 The probability is..very great, that there was a predisposition in the uterus to invert. 1897 Edinb. Med. Jrnl. 2 55 I at once passed my hand into the vagina, and found the uterus inverting. 1906 Calif. Med. & Surg. Reporter 2 779/2 Instrumental delivery under anesthesia where the uterus inverted as the placenta was delivered. 1966 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 12 Feb. 401/1 It was also the non-gravid horn [of the uterus] which probably inverted in two other cases. 1989 Jet 28 Aug. 31/2 He theorized ‘mechanical stresses on the eyelids during labor and delivery may cause the eyelids to invert’. 2007 Mail on Sunday (Nexis) 4 Feb. (You Mag.) 73 The uterus itself may invert and appear outside the body. 17. Geometry. a. transitive. To transform (a geometric figure) by inversion (inversion n. 23). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > arithmetic or algebraic operations > transformation > be transformed [verb (intransitive)] invert1843 1843 London, Edinb., & Dublin Philos. Mag. 23 340 We invert the line DO into a circle and the curve into the inverse focal ellipse whose equation is r = k (1 − e cos ω). 1922 Amer. Math. Monthly 29 348 When an equilateral hyperbola is inverted about a point not on it, the transform is a bicircular quartic with a singular point at the center of inversion. 2003 C. Kimberling Geom. in Action iv. 78 Let W be the line tangent to the circle at P, and invertW. b. intransitive. Of a geometric figure: to be transformed by inversion (inversion n. 23) into another figure. ΚΠ 1865 R. Townsend Chapters on Mod. Geom. II. xxiv. 384 Every two circles invert into two whose radii have a constant ratio from every point on any third circle coaxal with themselves. 1916 J. L. Coolidge Treat. Circle & Sphere i. 22 Points within the circle of inversion other than the centre will invert into points without, points without will always invert into points within. 2012 J. Barnes Gems Geom. (ed. 2) vii. 173 Spheres invert into spheres except that a sphere through the centre of inversion inverts into a plane. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.¹1827n.²1910n.³1965adj.1661v.1533
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invertn.1

invertn.2

invertn.3

invertadj.

Compounds

invertv.

invertn.¹

invertn.²

invertn.³