Re‐verse″, v. t. [imp. & p. p.Reversed (–vẽrst″);p. pr. & vb. n.Reversing.] [See Reverse, a., and cf. Revert.] 1. To turn back; to cause to face in a contrary direction; to cause to depart.
And that old dame said many an idle verse,
Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse. Spenser.
2. To cause to return; to recall.
And to his fresh remembrance did reverse
The ugly view of his deformed crimes. Spenser.
3. To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
Reverse the doom of death. Shak.
She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of Bray. Sir W. Scott.
4. To turn upside down; to invert.
A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if balanced by admirable skill. Sir W. Temple.
5. Hence, to overthrow; to subvert.
These can divide, and these reverse, the state. Pope.
Custom... reverses even the distinctions of good and evil. Rogers.
6. (Law) To overthrow by a contrary decision; to make void; to under or annual for error; as, to reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree.
Reverse arms(Mil.), a position of a soldier in which the piece passes between the right elbow and the body at an angle of 45°, and is held as in the illustration. — To reverse an engineora machine, to cause it to perform its revolutions or action in the opposite direction.
Syn. — To overturn; overset; invert; overthrow; subvert; repeal; annul; revoke; undo.