1. The act of inverting, or turning over or backward, or the state of
being inverted.
2. A change by inverted order; a reversed position or arrangement of
things; transposition.
It is just the inversion of an act of Parliament; your lordship
first signed it, and then it was passed among the Lords and
Commons.
Dryden.
3. (Mil.) A movement in tactics by which the order of companies in line
is inverted, the right being on the left, the left on the right, and so
on.
4. (Math.) A change in the order of the terms of a proportion, so that
the second takes the place of the first, and the fourth of the third.
5. (Geom.) A peculiar method of transformation, in which a figure is
replaced by its inverse figure. Propositions that are true for the
original figure thus furnish new propositions that are true in the
inverse figure. See Inverse figures, under Inverse.
6. (Gram.) A change of the usual order of words or phrases; as, "of all
vices, impurity is one of the most detestable," instead of, "impurity
is one of the most detestable of all vices."
7. (Rhet.) A method of reasoning in which the orator shows that
arguments advanced by his adversary in opposition to him are really
favorable to his cause.
8. (Mus.) (a) Said of intervals, when the lower tone is placed an
octave higher, so that fifths become fourths, thirds sixths, etc. (b)
Said of a chord, when one of its notes, other than its root, is made
the bass. (c) Said of a subject, or phrase, when the intervals of which
it consists are repeated in the contrary direction, rising instead of
falling, or vice versa. (d) Said of double counterpoint, when an upper
and a lower part change places.
9. (Geol.) The folding back of strata upon themselves, as by upheaval,
in such a manner that the order of succession appears to be reversed.
10. (Chem.) The act or process by which cane sugar (sucrose), under the
action of heat and acids or ferments (as diastase), is broken or split
up into grape sugar (dextrose), and fruit sugar (levulose); also, less
properly, the process by which starch is converted into grape sugar
(dextrose).
The terms invert and inversion, in this sense, owe their meaning to the
fact that the plane of polarization of light, which is rotated to the
right by cane sugar, is turned toward the left by levulose.
In*vert" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Inverted; p. pr. & vb. n. Inverting.]
[L. invertere, inversum; pref. in- in + vertere to turn. See Verse.]
1. To turn over; to put upside down; to upset; to place in a contrary
order or direction; to reverse; as, to invert a cup, the order of
words, rules of justice, etc.
That doth invert the attest of eyes and ears, As if these organs
had deceptious functions.
Shak.
Such reasoning falls like an inverted cone, Wanting its proper base
to stand upon.
Cowper.
2. (Mus.) To change the position of; - - said of tones which form a
chord, or parts which compose harmony.