In‐verse″ (?), a. [L. inversus, p. p. of invertere: cf. F. inverse. See Invert.]
1. Opposite in order, relation, or effect; reversed; inverted; reciprocal; — opposed to direct.
2. (Bot.) Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment the reverse of that which is usual.
3. (Math.) Opposite in nature and effect; — said with reference to any two operations, which, when both are performed in succession upon any quantity, reproduce that quantity; as, multiplication is the inverse operation to division. The symbol of an inverse operation is the symbol of the direct operation with -1 as an index. Thus sin-1 x means the arc whose sine is x.
Inverse figures(Geom.), two figures, such that each point of either figure is inverse to a corresponding point in the order figure. — Inverse points(Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn from the center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so related that the product of their distances from the center of the circle or sphere is equal to the square of the radius. — Inverse, orReciprocal, ratio(Math.), the ratio of the reciprocals of two quantities. — Inverse, orReciprocal, proportion, an equality between a direct ratio and a reciprocal ratio; thus, 4: 2:: ⅓: ⅙, or 4: 2:: 3: 6, inversely.