reversal

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈvɜː(ɹ)səl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)səl

Etymology 1

From Middle English reversall; equivalent to reverse +‎ -al.

Noun

reversal (countable and uncountable, plural reversals)

1. The state of being reversed.
2. An instance of reversing.
3. A change to an opposite direction.
   • 2019 October, Tony Miles, “Chase Line service to be split next May”, in Modern Railways, page 17:

     Running via Aston would require a reversal at New Street and this will be taken into account during the planning and normal industry testing processes.

   • 2025 October 15, 'Mystery Shopper', “About Anglia... and high scores”, in RAIL, number 1046, page 54:

     It's a 58-minute journey with seven intermediate stops, including a reversal at Cromer - another popular destination. The train starts to empty at North Walsham, and then there is an exodus at Cromer. The coach is almost empty for the final few miles into Sheringham.

4. A change in fortune; a change from being successful to having problems.
5. (card games) A rule in Tycoon where a three of a particular suit (most commonly spades) can beat a single joker. During revolution, most rulesets instead use a two of that suit to do this.

   Synonym: giant kill

Usage notes

Reversal of trains often takes place at a terminus, the driver walks to the cab at the other end of the train; if hauled by a locomotive, that moves to the other end if the train if the train has no driving cab at the other end. At some stations, a train service may make a reversal to continue its journey.

Synonyms

• reversion, about-face

Derived terms

• nonreversal
• prereversal
• reversalism
• reversalist
• reversality
• reversally
• unreversal

Compound words

• age-reversal
• photoreversal

Expressions

• magnetic reversal
• role reversal
• Russian reversal
• time reversal
• time reversal invariance
• time reversal mirror
• time reversal signal processing

Translations

an instance of reversing

• Bulgarian: обръщане (bg) n (obrǎštane)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 倒轉 / 倒转 (dou³ zyun³)

  Mandarin: 倒轉 / 倒转 (zh) (dàozhuǎn)

• French: renversement (fr) m, inversion (fr) f
• Greek: αναστροφή (el) f (anastrofí)

  Ancient: ἀναστροφή f (anastrophḗ)

• Hungarian: -csere (hu), megfordítás (hu), megfordulás (hu), -forduló (hu)
• Spanish: inversión (es) f, retorno (es) m, revocación f, reversión (es) f, retrocesión f

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: omkering (nl) f, ommezwaai (nl)
• Sranan Tongo: trafassi

Etymology 2

From French réversal or Medieval Latin reversālis.

Adjective

reversal (not comparable)

1. Intended to reverse; implying reversal.
   • a. 1716 (date written), [Gilbert] Burnet, edited by [Gilbert Burnet Jr.], Bishop Burnet’s History of His Own Time. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] Thomas Ward […], published 1724, →OCLC:

     For after his death there were reversal letters found among his papers from the Duke of Anjou

Anagrams

• ravelers, slaverer

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rebeɾˈsal/ [re.β̞eɾˈsal]
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: re‧ver‧sal

Adjective

reversal m or f (masculine and feminine plural reversales)

1. used to describe a type of diplomatic note

Usage notes

• It is used almost exclusively in the terms carta reversal or nota reversal