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Obverse vs Reverse - What's the difference?

obverse | reverse |

Reverse is a antonym of obverse.



In botany terms the difference between obverse and reverse

is that obverse is having the base, or end next to the attachment, narrower than the top while reverse is reversed.

In lang=en terms the difference between obverse and reverse

is that obverse is the double negative of a statement e.g. All men are mortal => No man is immortalreverse is to revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.

As adjectives the difference between obverse and reverse

is that obverse is turned or facing toward the observer while reverse is opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.

As nouns the difference between obverse and reverse

is that obverse is the heads side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that has the principal design while reverse is the opposite of something.

As an adverb reverse is

in a reverse way or direction; upside-down.

As a verb reverse is

to turn something around such that it faces in the opposite direction.

obverse

English

Adjective

(-)
  • Turned or facing toward the observer.
    • The obverse side of the gravestone has the inscription.
  • Corresponding; complementary.
    • When you speak clearly, people understand you. If you don't mumble, the obverse effect is observed.
  • (botany) Having the base, or end next to the attachment, narrower than the top.
    • an obverse leaf

    Synonyms

    * (turned toward the observer ): facing, presenting * (corresponding ): analogous, like, parallel, reciprocal

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The heads side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that has the principal design.
    • The medal had a cross on the obverse and had a name inscribed on the reverse.
  • (logic) The double negative of a statement e.g. All men are mortal'' => ''No man is immortal

    • Antonyms

    * reverse

    Anagrams

    * *

    reverse

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Opposite, contrary; going in the opposite direction.
    • We ate the meal in reverse order, starting with dessert and ending with the starter.
    The mirror showed us a reverse view of the scene.
  • Pertaining to engines, vehicle movement etc. moving in a direction opposite to the usual direction.
    • He selected reverse gear.
  • (rail transport, of points) to be in the non-default position; to be set for the lesser-used route.
  • Turned upside down; greatly disturbed.
  • * Gower
    • He found the sea diverse / With many a windy storm reverse .
  • (botany) Reversed.
    • a reverse shell

    Antonyms

    * (rail transport) normal

    Derived terms

    * reverse discrimination

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • *, Bk.XVIII:
  • *:they three smote hym at onys with their spearys, and with fors of themselff they smote Sir Launcelottis horse revers to the erthe.
  • *1963 , Donal Serrell Thomas, Points of Contact :
  • *:The man was killed to feed his image fat / Within this pictured world that ran reverse , / Where miracles alone were ever plain.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • The opposite of something.
    • We believed the Chinese weren't ready for us. In fact, the reverse was true.
  • The act of going backwards; a reversal.
  • * Lamb
    • By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich.
  • A piece of misfortune; a setback.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 309:
    • In fact, though the Russians did not yet know it, the British had met with a reverse .
  • The tails side of a coin, or the side of a medal or badge that is opposite the obverse.
  • The side of something facing away from a viewer, or from what is considered the front; the other side.
  • The gear setting of an automobile that makes it travel backwards.
  • A thrust in fencing made with a backward turn of the hand; a backhanded stroke.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (surgery) A turn or fold made in bandaging, by which the direction of the bandage is changed.

    • Derived terms

    * in reverse

    Verb

    (revers)
  • To turn something around such that it faces in the opposite direction.
  • To turn something inside out or upside down.
  • * Sir W. Temple
    • A pyramid reversed may stand upon his point if balanced by admirable skill.
  • To transpose the positions of two things.
  • To change totally; to alter to the opposite.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Reverse the doom of death.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
    • She reversed the conduct of the celebrated vicar of Bray.
  • (obsolete) To return, come back.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.4:
    • Bene they all dead, and laide in dolefull herse? / Or doen they onely sleepe, and shall againe reuerse ?
  • (obsolete) To turn away; to cause to depart.
  • * Spenser
    • And that old dame said many an idle verse, / Out of her daughter's heart fond fancies to reverse .
  • (obsolete) To cause to return; to recall.
  • * Spenser
    • And to his fresh remembrance did reverse / The ugly view of his deformed crimes.
  • (legal) To revoke a law, or to change a decision into its opposite.
    • to reverse a judgment, sentence, or decree
  • (ergative) To cause a mechanism or a vehicle to operate or move in the opposite direction to normal.
  • (chemistry) To change the direction of a reaction such that the products become the reactants and vice-versa.
  • (rail transport) To place a set of points in the reverse position
  • (rail transport, intransitive, of points) to move from the normal position to the reverse position
  • To overthrow; to subvert.
  • * Alexander Pope
    • These can divide, and these reverse , the state.
  • * Rogers
    • Custom reverses even the distinctions of good and evil.

    Derived terms

    * to reverse out * bootlegger reverse * reversal noun

    Antonyms

    * (rail transport) normalise / normalize (transitive and intransitive)

    Anagrams

    * * * English ergative verbs ----