Reciprocal

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Reciprocal \Re*cip"ro*cal\ (r[-e]*s[i^]p"r[-o]*kal), a. [L.
     reciprocus; of unknown origin.]
     1. Recurring in vicissitude; alternate.
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     2. Done by each to the other; interchanging or interchanged;


        given and received; due from each to each; mutual; as,
        reciprocal love; reciprocal duties.
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              Let our reciprocal vows be remembered. --Shak.
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     3. Mutually interchangeable.
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              These two rules will render a definition reciprocal
              with the thing defined.               --I. Watts.
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     4. (Gram.) Reflexive; -- applied to pronouns and verbs, but
        sometimes limited to such pronouns as express mutual
        action.
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     5. (Math.) Used to denote different kinds of mutual relation;
        often with reference to the substitution of reciprocals
        for given quantities. See the Phrases below.
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     {Reciprocal equation} (Math.), one which remains unchanged in
        form when the reciprocal of the unknown quantity is
        substituted for that quantity.
  
     {Reciprocal figures} (Geom.), two figures of the same kind
        (as triangles, parallelograms, prisms, etc.), so related
        that two sides of the one form the extremes of a
        proportion of which the means are the two corresponding
        sides of the other; in general, two figures so related
        that the first corresponds in some special way to the
        second, and the second corresponds in the same way to the
        first.
  
     {Reciprocal proportion} (Math.), a proportion such that, of
        four terms taken in order, the first has to the second the
        same ratio which the fourth has to the third, or the first
        has to the second the same ratio which the reciprocal of
        the third has to the reciprocal of the fourth. Thus, 2:5:
        :20:8 form a reciprocal proportion, because 2:5:
        :1/20:1/8.
  
     {Reciprocal quantities} (Math.), any two quantities which
        produce unity when multiplied together.
  
     {Reciprocal ratio} (Math.), the ratio between the reciprocals
        of two quantities; as, the reciprocal ratio of 4 to 9 is
        that of 1/4 to [frac19].
  
     {Reciprocal terms} (Logic), those terms which have the same
        signification, and, consequently, are convertible, and may
        be used for each other.
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     Syn: Mutual; alternate.
  
     Usage: {Reciprocal}, {Mutual}. The distinctive idea of mutual
            is, that the parties unite by interchange in the same
            act; as, a mutual covenant; mutual affection, etc. The
            distinctive idea of reciprocal is, that one party acts
            by way of return or response to something previously
            done by the other party; as, a reciprocal kindness;
            reciprocal reproaches, etc. Love is reciprocal when
            the previous affection of one party has drawn forth
            the attachment of the other. To make it mutual in the
            strictest sense, the two parties should have fallen in
            love at the same time; but as the result is the same,
            the two words are here used interchangeably. The
            ebbing and flowing of the tide is a case where the
            action is reciprocal, but not mutual.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Reciprocal \Re*cip"ro*cal\, n.
     1. That which is reciprocal to another thing.
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              Corruption is a reciprocal to generation. --Bacon.
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     2. (Arith. & Alg.) The quotient arising from dividing unity
        by any quantity; thus 1/4 is the reciprocal of 4; 1/(a +
        b) is the reciprocal of a + b. The reciprocal of a
        fraction is the fraction inverted, or the denominator
        divided by the numerator.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  reciprocal
       adj 1: concerning each of two or more persons or things; especially
              given or done in return; "reciprocal aid"; "reciprocal
              trade"; "mutual respect"; "reciprocal privileges at
              other clubs" [syn: {mutual}] [ant: {nonreciprocal}]
       2: of or relating to or suggestive of complementation;
          "interchangeable electric outlets" [syn: {complementary},
          {interchangeable}]
       3: of or relating to the multiplicative inverse of a quantity
          or function; "the reciprocal ratio of a:b is b:a"
       n 1: something (a term or expression or concept) that has a
            reciprocal relation to something else; "risk is the
            reciprocal of safety"
       2: (mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose product is 1:
          the reciprocal of 2/3 is 3/2; the multiplicative inverse
          of 7 is 1/7 [syn: {multiplicative inverse}]
       3: hybridization involving a pair of crosses that reverse the
          sexes associated with each genotype [syn: {reciprocal
          cross}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  199 Moby Thesaurus words for "reciprocal":
     algorismic, algorithmic, aliquot, ally, alter ego, alternate,
     analogon, analogous, analogue, answering, associate, associated,
     back-and-forth, beating, brother, cardinal, changeable, circling,
     close copy, close match, coacting, coactive, coadjutant,
     coadjuvant, coefficient, coequal, cognate, collaborative,
     collective, collectivist, collectivistic, collusive, combined,
     commensal, common, communal, communalist, communalistic, communist,
     communistic, communitarian, commutable, commutative, commutual,
     companion, compensatory, complement, complemental, complementary,
     concerted, concordant, concurrent, concurring, congenator,
     congener, conjoint, conniving, convertible, cooperant, cooperating,
     cooperative, coordinate, correlate, correlative, correspondent,
     corresponding, counterpart, cyclic, decimal, differential, digital,
     double, duplicate, ecumenic, epochal, equal, equalizing,
     equipollent, equivalent, even, every other, exchanged, exponential,
     fellow, figural, figurate, figurative, finite, fractional, general,
     give-and-take, harmonious, harmonized, homologous, image,
     imaginary, impair, impossible, in common, infinite, integral,
     interchangeable, interchanged, intermittent, irrational,
     isochronal, joint, kindred spirit, like, likeness, logarithmic,
     logometric, match, mate, measured, metronomic, mutual,
     near duplicate, negative, noncompetitive, numeral, numerary,
     numerative, numeric, obverse, odd, ordinal, oscillatory, pair,
     parallel, pendant, periodical, permutable, picture, popular,
     positive, possible, prime, public, pulsing, punitive, radical,
     rational, real, reciprocating, reciprocative, recompensing,
     recompensive, recurrent, recurring, reparative, restitutive,
     retaliative, retaliatory, retributive, retributory, returnable,
     rhythmic, rotary, seasonal, second self, seesaw, serial, shared,
     similitude, simulacrum, sine wave, sister, social, socialistic,
     societal, soul mate, standard, steady, submultiple, such, suchlike,
     surd, swapped, switched, symbiotic, synergetic, synergic,
     synergistic, tally, tantamount, the like of, the likes of,
     to-and-fro, traded, transcendental, transposed, twin,
     uncompetitive, undulant, undulatory, up-and-down, wavelike,
     wheeling