push-pull

[poosh-pool]

noun

1. Radio.,  a two-tube symmetrical arrangement in which the grid excitation voltages are opposite in phase.

adjective

1. of or relating to electronic devices having components with balanced signals opposite in phase.

push-pull

noun

1. using two similar electronic devices, such as matched valves, made to operate 180° out of phase with each other. The outputs are combined to produce a signal that replicates the input waveform

   a push-pull amplifier

Word History and Origins

Origin of push-pull¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Maron’s oft-stated uncertainty about his acting ability and the push-pull he has admitted to feeling might have dovetailed nicely with his other qualms.

From Los Angeles Times

Call it genius, then, that “Oh, Hi!” plays into this trope while simultaneously lampooning it for a push-pull dynamic that makes for one of the funniest movies of the year.

From Salon

Call it genius, then, that “Oh, Hi!” plays into this stereotype while simultaneously lampooning it for a push-pull dynamic that makes for one of the funniest movies of the year.

From Salon

I think there’s a push-pull where I really was wanting to do the EMT episode and the dog track one.

From Los Angeles Times

Together, Johansson and Bailey prop up a flagging franchise, but their combined magnetism creates a frustrating push-pull effect with the movie’s well-trodden narrative beats.

From Salon