invert

American  

[in-vurt, in-vurt] / ɪnˈvɜrt, ˈɪn vɜrt /

verb (used with object)

1. to turn upside down.

2. to reverse in position, order, direction, or relationship.

3. to turn or change to the opposite or contrary, as in nature, bearing, or effect.

   to invert a process.

4. to turn inward or back upon itself.

5. to turn inside out.

6. Chemistry. to subject to a reaction in which a starting material of one optical configuration forms a product of the opposite configuration.

7. Music. to subject to musical inversion, the transposition between the upper voice part and the lower.

8. Phonetics. to articulate as a retroflex vowel.

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verb (used without object)

1. Chemistry. to undergo a reaction in which a starting material of one optical configuration forms a product of the opposite configuration.

adjective

1. Chemistry. subjected to a reaction in which a starting material of one optical configuration forms a product of the opposite configuration.

noun

1. a person or thing that is reversed in position, changed to the contrary, or turned upside down, inside out, or inward.

2. (in plumbing) that portion of the interior of a drain or sewer pipe where the liquid is deepest.

3. a U-shaped arch or vault, having the opposite vertical orientation compared to a traditional arch or vault.

4. Philately. a two-colored postage stamp with all or part of the central design printed upside down in relation to the inscription.

5. Psychiatry. (no longer in technical use)

   1. a gay person.

   2. a person whose behavior is considered nonnormative for their assigned sex, historically involving both gender non-conforming or transgender expression and gay or lesbian sexual orientation.

6. Disparaging and Offensive. anyone whose sexuality or gender expression is regarded as strange or unnatural, especially a gay or transgender person.

7. Informal. (especially among aquarists) invertebrate.

   My invert tank is mostly sea slugs, but I bought a couple of shrimp recently also.

invert British  

verb

1. to turn or cause to turn upside down or inside out

2. (tr) to reverse in effect, sequence, direction, etc

3. (tr) phonetics

   1. to turn (the tip of the tongue) up and back

   2. to pronounce (a speech sound) by retroflexion

4. logic to form the inverse of a categorial proposition

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noun

1. psychiatry

   1. a person who adopts the role of the opposite sex

   2. another word for homosexual

2. architect

   1. the lower inner surface of a drain, sewer, etc Compare soffit

   2. an arch that is concave upwards, esp one used in foundations

Related Words

See reverse.

Other Word Forms

• invertibility
  noun
• invertible
  adjective
• noninverted
  adjective
• uninverted
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of invert

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin invertere “to turn upside down or inside out,” equivalent to in- “in” + vertere “to turn”; see in- ², verse

Explanation

When you invert something, you turn it upside down, whether it’s an idea or a test you place face-down on your desk when you are finished. Invert comes from the Latin word invertere, which means "to turn." For example, you might invert a cake pan, turning it upside down on a plate in order to remove the cake. Or if you have a long-standing belief, say, that cats make bad pets, spending time with a really great cat may make you turn that belief upside down, inverting it. And you might even get a cat of your own!

Example Sentences

Invert the pan on a wire rack or glass bottle to cool for at least 1 hour, then run a knife around the outer edge of the pan to release the sides of the cake.

From Washington Times • May 16, 2023

Invert the coconut over a bowl or measuring cup to drain the liquid, aka coconut water.

From Salon • May 16, 2022

Invert a serving plate over the cheesecake and then flip the whole thing so the crust is back on the bottom.

From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2022

Invert 1 cake layer onto a cardboard cake round covered in foil, and place on rack.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 28, 2021

Invert the jar to test the joint, then let it cool.

From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall