Origin: Latin suffix -sion
Inversion has 10 different meanings across 1 category:
the layer of air near the earth is cooler than an overlying layer
"The unexpected temperature inversion trapped the smog in the valley, preventing it from dispersing into the upper atmosphere."
abnormal condition in which an organ is turned inward or inside out (as when the upper part of the uterus is pulled into the cervical canal after childbirth)
"After a difficult delivery, the doctor performed immediate surgery to correct the uterine inversion before blood loss became critical."
a chemical process in which the direction of optical rotation of a substance is reversed from dextrorotatory to levorotary or vice versa
"The chemist noted that heating the solution caused an inversion, flipping its optical rotation from right-handed to left-handed."
(genetics) a kind of mutation in which the order of the genes in a section of a chromosome is reversed
"The geneticist identified an inversion as the cause of the unexpected trait, noting that the segment of DNA had been flipped backward on the chromosome."
the reversal of the normal order of words
"When I corrected the student's essay, I fixed several sentences that used an unnecessary inversion at the start to sound more dramatic."
(counterpoint) a variation of a melody or part in which ascending intervals are replaced by descending intervals and vice versa
"The organist created a stunning inversion of the hymn's main theme, flipping every rising note into a falling one to add emotional depth."
a term formerly used to mean taking on the gender role of the opposite sex
"The historical dictionary entry noted that early writers occasionally used the word inversion to describe someone who took on the gender role of the opposite sex."
The action of inverting.
"The bartender performed an impressive inversion by flipping the glass upside down to catch the ice without spilling a drop."