See Also: reciprocal arm(medicine)
Reciprocal(medicine)
reciprocal(dictionary)
reciprocal(dictionary)
reciprocal transfusion(medicine)
reciprocal translocation(medicine)
reciprocal treanslocation(medicine)
Reciprocal - Sailing(gambling)
Reciprocal inhibition(health)
reciprocal rhythm(medicine)

reciprocal (iou)



reciprocal adjective & noun. L16.
[from Latin reciprocus moving backwards and forwards, ult. from re- back, pro- forward: see -AL1.]
A. adjective.
a. Of the nature of a return made for something; given, felt, shown, etc., in return. L16.
P. Norman Each time..the minute hand jerked..he felt his heart give a tiny reciprocal jog. A. S. Byatt He had launched..into passion and..aroused a reciprocal passion.
b. Existing on both sides; mutual; (of two or more things) done, made, etc., in exchange. L16.
Shakespeare King Lear Let our reciprocal vows be rememb'red. A. Storr The partners are on equal terms,..giving and taking are reciprocal. E. Pawel The contempt, though..reciprocal, was tempered by..interdependence.
c. Grammar. Of a pronoun or verb: orig., reflexive; later, expressing mutual action or relationship. E17.
Inversely correspondent; correlative, complementary. L16.
J. Locke Relative Terms that have..a reciprocal Intimation, as..Cause and Effect.
b. Math. Based on an inverse relationship. E19.
c. Physics. Designating a unit defined as the reciprocal of a standard unit, as reciprocal centimetre, reciprocal ohm, reciprocal second, etc. M20.
Having or of the nature of an alternate backward and forward motion; alternate. E17-M18.
= CONVERTIBLE adjective 1. E17-M18.
Special collocations: reciprocal assimilation Phonetics: in which either of two adjacent sounds influences the other. reciprocal course: opposite in direction to a related one, as the one desired or the one followed immediately before. reciprocal cross Genetics (either of) a pair of crosses in which the male parent in each is of the same kind as the female in the other. reciprocal inhibition, reciprocal innervation Physiology simultaneous stimulation of nerves supplying agonist and antagonistic muscles or groups of muscles.
b. noun.
A thing corresponding in some way to another; an equivalent, a counterpart. L16.
Grammar.
a. A reflexive verb. M17-M18.
b. A pronoun, verb, or other element expressing mutual action or relationship. M20.
Math. A function or expression so related to another that their product is unity; an inverse. L18.
recipro'cality noun = RECIPROCITY M18.
reciprocally adverb L16.
reciprocalness noun (rare) M17-M19.