*parallel*

n. pl. (Geom.) Straight lines or planes which make angles in some respect opposite in character to those made by parallel lines or planes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unparalleled. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. not parallel; -- of lines or linear objects. Opposite of parallel. [ Narrower terms: bias, catacorner, cata-cornered, catercorner, cater-cornered, catty-corner, catty-cornered, diagonal, kitty-corner, kitty-cornered, oblique, skew, skewed, slanted ; crossed, decussate, intersectant, intersecting; cross-grained ; diagonal; orthogonal, orthographic, rectangular, right-angled ; right, perpendicular; angled ; convergent ] Also See: convergent, divergent, diverging. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Computers) Not using parallel processing; -- of computers. [ Narrower terms: serial ] PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Paralleled p. pr. & vb. n. Paralleling ] 1. To place or set so as to be parallel; to place so as to be parallel to, or to conform in direction with, something else. [ 1913 Webster ]

The needle . . . doth parallel and place itself upon the true meridian. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: To make to conform to something else in character, motive, aim, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

His life is paralleled
Even with the stroke and line of his great justice. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To equal; to match; to correspond to. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To produce or adduce as a parallel. [ R. ] Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

My young remembrance can not parallel
A fellow to it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be parallel; to correspond; to be like. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. parallèle, L. parallelus, fr. Gr. &unr_;; para` beside + &unr_; of one another, fr. &unr_; other, akin to L. alius. See Alien. ] 1. (Geom.) Extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant; as, parallel lines; parallel planes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Revolutions . . . parallel to the equinoctial. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Curved lines or curved planes are said to be parallel when they are in all parts equally distant. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having the same direction or tendency; running side by side; being in accordance (with); tending to the same result; -- used with to and with. [ 1913 Webster ]

When honor runs parallel with the laws of God and our country, it can not be too much cherished. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Continuing a resemblance through many particulars; applicable in all essential parts; like; similar; as, a parallel case; a parallel passage. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Parallel bar. (a) (Steam Eng.) A rod in a parallel motion which is parallel with the working beam. (b) One of a pair of bars raised about five feet above the floor or ground, and parallel to each other, -- used for gymnastic exercises. --
Parallel circles of a sphere, those circles of the sphere whose planes are parallel to each other. --
Parallel columns, or
Parallels (Printing), two or more passages of reading matter printed side by side, for the purpose of emphasizing the similarity or discrepancy between them. --
Parallel forces (Mech.), forces which act in directions parallel to each other. --
Parallel motion. (a) (Mach.) A jointed system of links, rods, or bars, by which the motion of a reciprocating piece, as a piston rod, may be guided, either approximately or exactly in a straight line. Rankine. (b) (Mus.) The ascending or descending of two or more parts at fixed intervals, as thirds or sixths. --
Parallel rod (Locomotive Eng.), a metal rod that connects the crank pins of two or more driving wheels; -- called also couping rod, in distinction from the connecting rod. See Illust. of Locomotive, in App. --
Parallel ruler, an instrument for drawing parallel lines, so constructed as to have the successive positions of the ruling edge parallel to each other; also, one consisting of two movable parts, the opposite edges of which are always parallel. --
Parallel sailing (Naut.), sailing on a parallel of latitude. --
Parallel sphere (Astron. & Geog.), that position of the sphere in which the circles of daily motion are parallel to the horizon, as to an observer at either pole. --
Parallel vise, a vise having jaws so guided as to remain parallel in all positions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant from another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who made the spider parallels design,
Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line ? Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Direction conformable to that of another line, [ 1913 Webster ]

Lines that from their parallel decline. Garth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; similarity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Twixt earthly females and the moon
All parallels exactly run. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity; as, Johnson's parallel between Dryden and Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Anything equal to, or resembling, another in all essential particulars; a counterpart. [ 1913 Webster ]

None but thyself can be thy parallel. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Geog.) One of the imaginary circles on the surface of the earth, parallel to the equator, marking the latitude; also, the corresponding line on a globe or map; as, the counry was divided into North and South at the 38th parallel. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

7. (Mil.) One of a series of long trenches constructed before a besieged fortress, by the besieging force, as a cover for troops supporting the attacking batteries. They are roughly parallel to the line of outer defenses of the fortress. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Print.) A character consisting of two parallel vertical lines (thus, ‖) used in the text to direct attention to a similarly marked note in the margin or at the foot of a page. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Elec.) That arrangement of an electrical system in which all positive poles, electrodes, terminals, etc., are joined to one conductor, and all negative poles, etc., to another conductor; -- called also multiple. Opposed to series.

☞ Parts of a system so arranged are said to be
in parallel or
in multiple. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Limiting parallels. See under Limit, v. t. --
Parallel of altitude (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar. --
Parallel of declination (Astron.), one of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the equator. --
Parallel of latitude. (a) (Geog.) See def. 6. above. (b) (Astron.) One of the small circles of the sphere, parallel to the ecliptic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being paralleled, or equaled. [ R. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Geometry) A prism whose bases are parallelograms.
Syn. -- parallelopiped, parallelepipedon, parallelopipedon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Geometry) Same as parallelepiped.
Syn. -- parallelepiped, parallelopiped, parallelopipedon. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; to place side by side, or parallel: cf. F. parallélisme. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality or state of being parallel. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Resemblance; correspondence; similarity. [ 1913 Webster ]

A close parallelism of thought and incident. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Similarity of construction or meaning of clauses placed side by side, especially clauses expressing the same sentiment with slight modifications, as is common in Hebrew poetry; e. g.: --

At her feet he bowed, he fell:
Where he bowed, there he fell down dead. Judg. v. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the nature of a parallelism; involving parallelism. [ 1913 Webster ]

The antithetic or parallelistic form of Hebrew poetry is entirely lost. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To render parallel. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Matchless. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a parallel manner; with parallelism. [ R. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; parallel + &unr_; to write: cf. F. parallélogramme. See Parallel, and -gram. ] (Geom.) A right-lined quadrilateral figure, whose opposite sides are parallel, and consequently equal; -- sometimes restricted in popular usage to a rectangle, or quadrilateral figure which is longer than it is broad, and with right angles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Parallelogram of velocities,
parallelogram of forces,
parallelogram of accelerations,
parallelogram of momenta, etc. (Mech.), a parallelogram the diagonal of which represents the resultant of two velocities, forces, accelerations, momenta, etc., both in quantity and direction, when the velocities, forces, accelerations, momenta, etc., are represented in quantity and direction by the two adjacent sides of the parallelogram. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a parallelogram; parallelogrammic. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Having the properties of a parallelogram. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. para`llhlos parallel + 'epi`pedon a plane surface, 'epi`pedos on the ground, or level with it, level, flat; 'epi` on + pe`don the ground: cf. F. parallélopipède. ] (Geom.) A solid, the faces of which are six parallelograms, the opposite pairs being parallel, and equal to each other; a prism whose base is a parallelogram.
Syn. -- parallelepiped, parallelepipedon, parallelopipedon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. ] A parallelopiped. Hutton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. To park (a vehicle) parallel to the curb; -- contrasted with angle-park; as, to get a driver's license, one needs to be able to parallel-park. [ PJC ]

n. The act or process of parking parallel to the curb; -- contrasted with angle-parking. [ PJC ]

. (Numismatics) Two or more metals coined without any attempt by the government to regulate their values. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Anat.) A sulcus parallel to, but some distance below, the horizontal limb of the fissure of Sylvius. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Elec.) A transformer connected in parallel. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. A vise with jaws so guided as to remain parallel. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. (Optics) Having opposite surfaces exactly plane and parallel, as a piece of glass. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no parallel, or equal; unequaled; unmatched. [ 1913 Webster ]

The unparalleled perseverance of the armies of the United States, under every suffering and discouragement, was little short of a miracle. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]