Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Parallel

Par′al-lel

,
Adj.
[F.
parallèle
, L.
parallelus
, fr. Gr. [GREEK];
παρά
beside + [GREEK] of one another, fr. [GREEK] other, akin to L.
alius
. See
Alien
.]
1.
(Geom.)
Extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant;
as,
parallel
lines;
parallel
planes.
Revolutions . . .
parallel
to the equinoctial.
Hakluyt.
☞ Curved lines or curved planes are said to be parallel when they are in all parts equally distant.
2.
Having the same direction or tendency; running side by side; being in accordance (with); tending to the same result; – used with to and with.
When honor runs
parallel
with the laws of God and our country, it can not be too much cherished.
Addison.
3.
Continuing a resemblance through many particulars; applicable in all essential parts; like; similar;
as, a
parallel
case; a
parallel
passage.
Addison.
Parallel bar
.
(a)
(Steam Eng.)
A rod in a parallel motion which is parallel with the working beam
.
(b)
One of a pair of bars raised about five feet above the floor or ground, and parallel to each other, – used for gymnastic exercises.
–
Parallel circles of a sphere
,
those circles of the sphere whose planes are parallel to each other.
–
Parallel columns
, or
Parallels
(Printing)
,
two or more passages of reading matter printed side by side, for the purpose of emphasizing the similarity or discrepancy between them.
–
Parallel forces
(Mech.)
,
forces which act in directions parallel to each other.
–
Parallel motion
.
(a)
(Mach.)
A jointed system of links, rods, or bars, by which the motion of a reciprocating piece, as a piston rod, may be guided, either approximately or exactly in a straight line
.
Rankine.
(b)
(Mus.)
The ascending or descending of two or more parts at fixed intervals, as thirds or sixths.
–
Parallel rod
(Locomotive Eng.)
,
a metal rod that connects the crank pins of two or more driving wheels; – called also
couping rod
, in distinction from the connecting rod. See Illust. of
Locomotive
, in App.
–
Parallel ruler
,
an instrument for drawing parallel lines, so constructed as to have the successive positions of the ruling edge parallel to each other; also, one consisting of two movable parts, the opposite edges of which are always parallel.
–
Parallel sailing
(Naut.)
,
sailing on a parallel of latitude.
–
Parallel sphere
(Astron. & Geog.)
,
that position of the sphere in which the circles of daily motion are parallel to the horizon, as to an observer at either pole.
–
Parallel vise
,
a vise having jaws so guided as to remain parallel in all positions.

Par′al-lel

,
Noun.
1.
A line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant from another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc.
Who made the spider
parallels
design,
Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line ?
Pope.
2.
Direction conformable to that of another line,
Lines that from their
parallel
decline.
Garth.
3.
Conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; similarity.
Twixt earthly females and the moon
All
parallels
exactly run.
Swift.
4.
A comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity;
as, Johnson’s
parallel
between Dryden and Pope
.
5.
Anything equal to, or resembling, another in all essential particulars; a counterpart.
None but thyself can be thy
parallel
.
Pope.
7.
(Mil.)
One of a series of long trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the fortress.
8.
(Print.)
A character consisting of two parallel vertical lines (thus, ‖) used in the text to direct attention to a similarly marked note in the margin or at the foot of a page.
Limiting parallels
.
See under
Limit
,
Verb.
T.
–
Parallel of altitude
(Astron.)
,
one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar.
–
Parallel of declination
(Astron.)
,
one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator.
–
Parallel of latitude
.
(a)
(Geog.)
See def. 6. above.
(b)
(Astron.)
One of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the ecliptic.

Par′al-lel

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Paralleled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Paralleling
.]
1.
To place or set so as to be parallel; to place so as to be parallel to, or to conform in direction with, something else.
The needle . . . doth
parallel
and place itself upon the true meridian.
Sir T. Browne.
2.
Fig.: To make to conform to something else in character, motive, aim, or the like.
His life is
paralleled

Even with the stroke and line of his great justice.
Shakespeare
3.
To equal; to match; to correspond to.
Shak.
4.
To produce or adduce as a parallel.
[R.]
Locke.
My young remembrance can not
parallel

A fellow to it.
Shakespeare

Par′al-lel

,
Verb.
I.
To be parallel; to correspond; to be like.
[Obs.]
Bacon.

Webster 1828 Edition

Parallel

PAR'ALLEL

,
Adj.
[Gr. against or opposite, and one the other.]
1.
In geometry, extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant. One body or line is parallel to another, when the surfaces of the bodies or the lines are at an equal distance throughout the whole length.
2.
Having the same direction or tendency; running in accordance with something.
When honor runs parallel with the laws of God and our country, it cannot be too much cherished.
3.
Continuing a resemblance through many particulars; like; similar; equal in all essential parts; as a parallel case; a parallel passage in the evangelists.

PAR'ALLEL

,
Noun.
A line which throughout its whole extent is equidistant from another line; as parallels of latitude.
Who made the spider parallels design,
Sure as De Moivre without rule or line?
1.
A line on the globe marking the latitude.
2.
Direction conformable to that of another line.
3.
Conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; likeness.
'Twixt earthly females and the moon,
All parallels exactly run.
4.
Comparison made; as, to draw a parallel between two characters.
5.
Any thing equal to or resembling another in all essential particulars.
None but thyself can be thy parallel.

PAR'ALLEL

,
Verb.
T.
To place so as to keep the same direction, and at an equal distance from something else.
1.
To level; to equal.
2.
To correspond to.
3.
To be equal to; to resemble in all essential points.
4.
To compare.

Definition 2024

parallel

parallel

See also: paral·lel

English

Adjective

parallel ‎(not comparable)

  1. Equally distant from one another at all points.
    The horizontal lines on my notebook paper are parallel.
    • Hakluyt
      revolutions […] parallel to the equinoctial
  2. Having the same overall direction; the comparison is indicated with "to".
    The two railway lines are parallel.
    • Addison
      When honour runs parallel with the laws of God and our country, it cannot be too much cherished.
  3. (hyperbolic geometry, said of a pair of lines) Either not intersecting, or coinciding.[1]
  4. (computing) Involving the processing of multiple tasks at the same time.
    a parallel algorithm

Derived terms

Antonyms

Translations

Adverb

parallel ‎(comparative more parallel, superlative most parallel)

  1. With a parallel relationship.
    The road runs parallel to the canal.

Related terms

Translations

Noun

parallel ‎(plural parallels)

  1. One of a set of parallel lines.
    • Alexander Pope
      Who made the spider parallels design, / Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line?
  2. Direction conformable to that of another line.
    • Garth
      lines that from their parallel decline
  3. A line of latitude.
    The 31st parallel passes through the center of my town.
  4. An arrangement of electrical components such that a current flows along two or more paths; see in parallel.
  5. Something identical or similar in essential respects.
    • Alexander Pope
      None but thyself can be thy parallel.
  6. A comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity.
    Johnson's parallel between Dryden and Pope
  7. (military) One of a series of long trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the fortress.
  8. (printing) A character consisting of two parallel vertical lines, used in the text to direct attention to a similarly marked note in the margin or at the foot of a page.

Antonyms

Translations

Verb

parallel ‎(third-person singular simple present parallels, present participle (US) paralleling or (UK) parallelling, simple past and past participle (US) paralleled or (UK) parallelled)

  1. To construct or place something parallel to something else.
    • Sir Thomas Browne
      The needle […] doth parallel and place itself upon the true meridian.
  2. Of a path etc: To be parallel to something else.
  3. Of a process etc: To be analogous to something else.
  4. To compare or liken something to something else.
  5. To make to conform to something else in character, motive, aim, etc.
    • Shakespeare
      His life is parallelled / Even with the stroke and line of his great justice.
  6. To equal; to match; to correspond to.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  7. To produce or adduce as a parallel.
    • Shakespeare
      My young remembrance cannot parallel / A fellow to it.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of John Locke to this entry?)

Translations

Derived terms

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jos Leys — The hyperbolic chamber (paragraph 8)

Danish

Noun

parallel ?

  1. (geometry) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Adjective

parallel

  1. (geometry) parallel

Inflection

Inflection of parallel
Positive Comparative Superlative
Common singular parallel — —2
Neuter singular parallelt — —2
Plural parallelle — —2
Definite attributive1 parallelle — —
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

Dutch

Pronunciation

Adjective

parallel ‎(not comparable)

  1. parallel

Inflection

Inflection of parallel
uninflected parallel
inflected parallelle
comparative —
positive
predicative/adverbial parallel
indefinite m./f. sing. parallelle
n. sing. parallel
plural parallelle
definite parallelle
partitive parallels

Synonyms

German

Etymology

From Latin, from Ancient Greek παράλληλος ‎(parállēlos).

Pronunciation

Adjective

parallel ‎(not comparable)

  1. parallel
    Die Linien meines Schreibpapiers laufen exakt parallel.
    Die eine Bahnschiene verläuft auch in der Kurve stets parallel zur anderen.
  2. Serving the same purpose, leading to the same result
    Die Autobahn verläuft parallel zur Eisenbahn aber in ganz unterschiedlichen Biegungen und Kurven.
    Die Eheleute hatten nichts verabredet, so haben sie parallel (zueinander) eingekauft.

Antonyms

Related terms

  • Parallele
  • Parallelenparalaxe
  • parallelisieren
  • Parallelogramm
  • Parallelverschiebung

Declension

Etymology

From Middle French parallèle, from Ancient Greek παράλληλος ‎(parállēlos), from παρά + ἄλληλος, along each other

Pronunciation

Similar Results