In*vent"ive (?), a. [Cf. F. inventif.] Able and apt to invent; quick at
contrivance; ready at expedients; as, an inventive head or genius.
Dryden. -- In*vent"ive*ly, adv. -- In*vent"ive*ness, n.
In*vent"or (?), n. [L.: cf. F. inventeur.] One who invents or finds out
something new; a contriver; especially, one who invents mechanical
devices.
In`ven*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to an inventory. --
In`ven*to"ri*al*ly, adv. Shak.
In"ven*to*ry (?), n.; pl. Inventories (#). [L. inventarium: cf. LL.
inventorium, F. inventaire, OF. also inventoire. See Invent.] An
account, catalogue, or schedule, made by an executor or administrator,
of all the goods and chattels, and sometimes of the real estate, of a
deceased person; a list of the property of which a person or estate is
found to be possessed; hence, an itemized list of goods or valuables,
with their estimated worth; specifically, the annual account of stock
taken in any business.
There take an inventory of all I have.
Shak.
Syn. -- List; register; schedule; catalogue. See List.
In"ven*to*ry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inventoried (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Inventorying.] [Cf. F. inventorier.] To make an inventory of; to make a
list, catalogue, or schedule of; to insert or register in an account of
goods; as, a merchant inventories his stock.
I will give out divers schedules of my beauty; it shall be
inventoried, and every particle and utensil labeled.
Shak.
In*vent"ress (?), n. [Cf. L. inventrix, F. inventrice.] A woman who
invents. Dryden.
In`ve*rac"i*ty (?), n. Want of veracity.
In*ver`i*si*mil"i*tude (?), n. Want of verisimilitude or likelihood;
improbability.
In*verse" (?), a. [L. inversus, p. p. of invertere: cf. F. inverse. See
Invert.]
1. Opposite in order, relation, or effect; reversed; inverted;
reciprocal; -- opposed to direct.
2. (Bot.) Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment the reverse
of that which is usual.
3. (Math.) Opposite in nature and effect; -- said with reference to any
two operations, which, when both are performed in succession upon any
quantity, reproduce that quantity; as, multiplication is the inverse
operation to division. The symbol of an inverse operation is the symbol
of the direct operation with -1 as an index. Thus sin-1 x means the arc
whose sine is x.
Inverse figures (Geom.), two figures, such that each point of either
figure is inverse to a corresponding point in the order figure. --
Inverse points (Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn from the
center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so related that the product of
their distances from the center of the circle or sphere is equal to the
square of the radius. -- Inverse, or Reciprocal, ratio (Math.), the
ratio of the reciprocals of two quantities. -- Inverse, or Reciprocal,
proportion, an equality between a direct ratio and a reciprocal ratio;
thus, 4 : 2 : : : , or 4 : 2 : : 3 : 6, inversely.
In"verse, n. That which is inverse.
Thus the course of human study is the inverse of the course of
things in nature.
Tatham.
In*verse"ly (?), adv. In an inverse order or manner; by inversion; --
opposed to directly.
Inversely proportional. See Directly proportional, under Directly, and
Inversion, 4.