reversible

[ ri-vur-suh-buh l ]

/ rɪˈvɜr sə bəl /

adjective

capable of reversing or of being reversed.

capable of reestablishing the original condition after a change by the reverse of the change.

(of a fabric) woven or printed so that either side may be exposed.

that can be worn with either side out: a reversible jacket.

noun

a garment, especially a coat, that can be worn with either side exposed.

Nearby words

Origin of reversible

First recorded in 1640–50; reverse + -ible

Related forms

re·vers·i·bil·i·ty, re·vers·i·ble·ness, nounre·vers·i·bly, adverbnon·re·vers·i·bil·i·ty, nounnon·re·vers·i·ble, adjective

non·re·vers·i·ble·ness, nounnon·re·vers·i·bly, adverbun·re·vers·i·ble, adjectiveun·re·vers·i·ble·ness, nounun·re·vers·i·bly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for reversibility

The combination of invariability and reversibility in the Peirce pendulums was an innovation for relative determinations.
Smithsonian Institution - United States National Museum - Bulletin 240|Anonymous
This leads me to the enunciation of a principle which underlies all optical phenomena—the principle of reversibility.
Six Lectures on Light|John Tyndall
The amount of energy which would now be working in that process may be termed the limiting energy for reversibility.
The Energy System of Matter|James Weir
The ratio of the maximum or limiting energy for reversibility to the total energy of the system may vary in value.
The Energy System of Matter|James Weir

This property of reversibility is also shared by the process of Carnot.
Popular scientific lectures|Ernst Mach

British Dictionary definitions for reversibility

reversible

/ (rɪˈvɜːsəbəl) /

adjective

capable of being reverseda reversible decision

capable of returning to an original condition

chem physics capable of assuming or producing either of two possible states and changing from one to the othera reversible reaction

thermodynamics (of a change, process, etc) occurring through a number of intermediate states that are all in thermodynamic equilibrium

(of a fabric or garment) woven, printed, or finished so that either side may be used as the outer side

noun

a reversible garment, esp a coat

Derived Formsreversibility, nounreversibly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for reversibility

reversible

adj.

1640s, from reverse (v.) + -ible. As a noun, of garments, from 1863. Related: Reversable (1580s).