Etymology: Originally < Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French revers (in Anglo-Norman also occasionally as feminine noun reverse) the opposite or contrary of something (1306 in Old French), side facing away from or not intended to be seen by the observer (early 15th cent.), backhanded stroke with the hand or a sword (c1480), setback, defeat (1501; subsequently from a1590 (in revers de fortune )), side of a coin, medal, or seal which does not bear the main design or inscription (1556), back of each leaf in a manuscript (1596), edge of a garment turned back to reveal the undersurface (see revers n.), use as noun of Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French revers reverse adj. In later use also partly < reverse adj. Compare also Old French, Middle French reverse (feminine noun) backhanded stroke (1306), reversal, action of reversing (c1310; < reverser reverse v.¹), and also post-classical Latin reversus return (1252 in a British source), reversion of property or title (1319 in a British source in a legal context). Compare reverse adj. and earlier reverse v.¹Compare Old Occitan revers (a1150), Spanish reverso (1544, earliest in sense 2a(a)), Portuguese reverso , Italian (now archaic or regional) riverso (14th cent.; 13th cent. as †reverso ); these are less common than parallel nouns which, although sharing the same ulterior Latin etymon, show various forms of popular phonological development: Catalan revés (13th cent.; frequently in al revés , del revés (adverb) reverse), Spanish revés (first half of the 14th cent.; frequently in al revés (adverb) reverse), Portuguese revés (14th cent. in plural †rreuezes ), Italian rovescio (early 14th cent.; < rovesciare : see reverse v.¹)). In sense 9a after French reversis reversis n. With sense 10 compare earlier revers n. With in reverse at Phrases 1 compare French à revers reversed (a1388 in Middle French), from behind (1611; frequent in military use), en revers (1531 in Middle French and 1654; now regional), †de revers from behind (1680).

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French revers twisted, askew (late 12th cent.), opposite or contrary to something else (end of the 13th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman) and its etymon classical Latin reversus, past participle of revertere revert v. Compare Old Occitan revers (14th cent.), Spanish reverso (16th cent.), Portuguese reverso (1446), Italian riverso (1312), (with alteration after rovesciare reverse v.¹) rovescio (14th cent.), and also (with simplification of the consonant cluster -rs- ) Catalan revés stubborn, obstinate (c1450), Portuguese revesso (1597). Compare earlier reverse v.¹, and also reverse n., reversed adj.In sense A. 4b originally after Italian riverso (1728 (in the passage translated in quot. 1730) or earlier in this sense). The use as adverb is not paralleled in the Romance languages (which use prepositional phrases formed with the parallels of reverse n., as does English normally: see the etymology note at that entry), nor in most Germanic languages. However, compare Middle Low German (rare) revers (adverb) back, backwards.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman reversser, revercer, Anglo-Norman and Middle French reverser (French †reverser ; now superseded by renverser renverse v.) to turn or place (a thing) upside down, to turn (a person or thing) over, to turn over (12th cent. in Old French, also used reflexively), to turn (a garment) inside out (c1140), to hold or carry (a weapon) so that it is not in a position of readiness (c1215), to turn over, plough (ground) (c1230 or earlier), to change, alter (a state or condition into another state or condition) (late 14th cent. or earlier), in Anglo-Norman also to revoke, annul (a legal decision) (early 14th cent. or earlier), to turn (a coat of arms, a heraldic charge, etc.) upside down (late 14th cent. or earlier) and its etymon post-classical Latin reversare to cause to turn back (Vulgate), to return (c400), to cause to turn again (5th cent. in Augustine), to turn over (from c1190 in British sources), to turn back (the edge of a garment), trim (1342, 1349 in British sources), (in heraldry) to turn (a coat of arms) upside down (c1366, 15th cent. in British sources), to set aside (a judgement) (1430, a1565 in British sources) < classical Latin re- re- prefix + versāre to turn, to change (see verse v.²). Compare revert v.Compare Old Occitan reversar , Catalan †reversar (late 13th cent.), Spanish †reversar to vomit up (food) (14th cent.), reversar (late 18th cent. or earlier), Portuguese reversar (late 18th cent. or earlier), Italian riversare (early 14th cent.; also †reversare ). Compare also Catalan revessar (15th cent. or earlier), Spanish revesar to vomit up (food) (15th cent.; 14th cent. as †revessar ), Portuguese revessar (15th cent.), which show assimilation of the consonant cluster -rs- , and also Italian rovesciare (c1300; < an unattested post-classical Latin form *reversiare , variant of reversare ). In sense 3b after Middle French renverser renverse v. (1662 in this sense, in the passage translated in quot. 1675). In sense 7b probably after Middle French renverser renverse v. (1422 in this sense, in the passage translated in quot. a1500). In sense 12 after reverse n. 14. In sense 13 after reverse takeover n. at reverse adj. and adv. Compounds 2. In Middle English prefixed and unprefixed forms of the past participle are attested (see y- prefix).