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inversion

 - 6 dictionary results

in⋅ver⋅sion

[in-vur-zhuhn, -shuhn]
–noun
1. an act or instance of inverting.
2. the state of being inverted.
3. anything that is inverted.
4. Rhetoric. reversal of the usual or natural order of words; anastrophe.
5. Grammar. any change from a basic word order or syntactic sequence, as in the placement of a subject after an auxiliary verb in a question or after the verb in an exclamation, as “When will you go?” and “How beautiful is the rose!”
6. Anatomy, Pathology. the turning inward of a part, as the foot.
7. Chemistry.
a. a hydrolysis of certain carbohydrates, as cane sugar, that results in a reversal of direction of the rotatory power of the carbohydrate solution, the plane of polarized light being bent from right to left or vice versa.
b. a reaction in which a starting material of one optical configuration forms a product of the opposite configuration.
8. Music.
a. the process or result of transposing the tones of an interval or chord so that the original bass becomes an upper voice.
b. (in counterpoint) the transposition of the upper voice part below the lower, and vice versa.
c. presentation of a melody in contrary motion to its original form.
9. Psychiatry. assumption of the sexual role of the opposite sex; homosexuality.
10. Genetics. a type of chromosomal aberration in which the position of a segment of the chromosome is changed in such a way that the linear order of the genes is reversed. Compare chromosomal aberration.
11. Phonetics. retroflexion (def. 3).
12. Also called atmospheric inversion, temperature inversion. Meteorology. a reversal in the normal temperature lapse rate, the temperature rising with increased elevation instead of falling.
13. Electricity. a converting of direct current into alternating current.
14. Mathematics. the operation of forming the inverse of a point, curve, function, etc.
–adjective
15. pertaining to or associated with inversion therapy or the apparatus used in it: inversion boots.

Origin:
1545–55; < L inversiōn- (s. of inversiō) a turning in. See inverse, -ion
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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in·ver·sion   (ĭn-vûr'zhən, -shən)   
n.  
    1. The act of inverting.

    2. The state of being inverted.

    3. A rearrangement of tones in which the upper and lower voices of a melody are transposed, as in counterpoint.

    4. A rearrangement of tones in which each interval in a single melody is applied in the opposite direction.

    5. A rearrangement of tones in which the notes of a chord are rearranged such that the bass has a different pitch.

    6. The taking on of the gender role of the opposite sex.

    7. In the theory of Sigmund Freud, homosexuality. No longer in scientific use.

  1. An interchange of position of adjacent objects in a sequence, especially a change in normal word order, such as the placement of a verb before its subject.

  2. Music

    1. A rearrangement of tones in which the upper and lower voices of a melody are transposed, as in counterpoint.

    2. A rearrangement of tones in which each interval in a single melody is applied in the opposite direction.

    3. A rearrangement of tones in which the notes of a chord are rearranged such that the bass has a different pitch.

    4. The taking on of the gender role of the opposite sex.

    5. In the theory of Sigmund Freud, homosexuality. No longer in scientific use.

  3. Psychology

    1. The taking on of the gender role of the opposite sex.

    2. In the theory of Sigmund Freud, homosexuality. No longer in scientific use.

  4. Chemistry Conversion of a substance in which the direction of optical rotation is reversed, from the dextrorotatory to the levorotatory or from the levorotatory to the dextrorotatory form.

  5. Meteorology An atmospheric condition in which the air temperature rises with increasing altitude, holding surface air down and preventing dispersion of pollutants.

  6. Genetics A chromosomal defect in which a segment of the chromosome breaks off and reattaches in the reverse direction.


[Latin inversiō, inversiōn-, from inversus, past participle of invertere, to invert; see invert.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·ver·sion
Pronunciation: in-'v&r-zh&n, -sh&n
Function: noun
1 : a reversal of position, order, form, orrelationship: as a : a dislocation of a bodily structure in which it is turned partially or wholly inside out <inversion of the uterus> b : the condition(as of the foot) of being turned or rotated inward —compare EVERSION 2 c : RETROFLEXION d : a breaking off of a chromosome section and its subsequent reattachment in inverted position;also : a chromosomal section that has undergone this process
2 a : the conversion of dextrorotatory sucrose into a levorotatory mixture of glucose and fructose b : a change from one stereochemical figuration at a chiral center in a usually organic molecule to the opposite configuration that is brought about by a reaction in which asubstitution of one group is made for a different group
3 : HOMOSEXUALITY
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

inversion in·ver·sion (ĭn-vûr'zhən, -shən)
n.

  1. The act of inverting or the state of being inverted.

  2. Conversion of a substance in which the direction of optical rotation is reversed.

  3. The taking on of the gender role of the opposite sex.

  4. Homosexuality. Used in psychology.

  5. A chromosomal defect in which a segment of the chromosome breaks off and reattaches in the reverse direction.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
inversion   (ĭn-vûr'zhən)  Pronunciation Key 
A departure from the normal effect of altitude on a meteorological property, especially an atmospheric condition in which the air temperature rises with increasing altitude. ◇ A layer of air that is warmer than the air below it is called an inversion layer. Such a layer traps the surface air in place and prevents dispersion of any pollutants it contains.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

inversion

in chemistry, the spatial rearrangement of atoms or groups of atoms in a dissymmetric molecule, giving rise to a product with a molecular configuration that is a mirror image of that of the original molecule.

Learn more about inversion with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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