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A kicking back again; opposition; repugnance; refractoriness.

thus ¼ is the reciprocal of 4; 1/(a + b) is the reciprocal of a + b. The reciprocal of a fraction is the fraction inverted, or the denominator divided by the numerator.

To change the form of a quantity or expression without altering its value; as, to reduce fractions to their lowest terms, to a common denominator, etc.

The operation of restoring a dislocated or fractured part to its former place. Reduction ascending (Arith.), the operation of changing numbers of a lower into others of a higher denomination, as cents to dollars. -- Reduction descending (Arith.), the operation of changing numbers of a higher into others of a lower den…

Capable of being refracted, or turned out of a direct course, in passing from one medium to another, as rays of light. -- Re*fran"gi*ble*ness, n.

The power possessed by a substance to refract a ray; as, different substances have different refringencies. Nichol.

Pertaining to, or possessing, refringency; refractive; refracting; as, a refringent prism of spar. Nichol.

osed to fight against; hostile; at war with; being at variance; contrary; inconsistent; refractory; disobedient; also, distasteful in a high degree; offensive; -- usually followed by to, rarely and less properly by with; as, all rudeness was repugnant to her nature. [His sword] repugnant to command. Shak. There is no b…

substances, of vegetable origin, which are nonconductors of electricity, have a vitreous fracture, and are soluble in ether, alcohol, and essential oils, but not in water; specif., pine resin (see Rosin).

Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition; refractory.

To overlap (each other); -- said of bones or fractured fragments. To ride a hobby, to have some favorite occupation or subject of talk. -- To ride and tie, to take turn with another in labor and rest; -- from the expedient adopted by two persons with one horse, one of whom rides the animal a certain distance, and then…

ransverse pulses in the ether. They are used in examining opaque objects, as for locating fractures or bullets in the human body.

Full; complete; not broken; not fractional; approximately in even units, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.; -- said of numbers. Pliny put a round number near the truth, rather than the fraction. Arbuthnot.

bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded compactly. A judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule. South.

h; a disfigurement. This earth had the beauty of youth, . . . and not a wrinkle, scar, or fracture on all its body. T. Burnet.

Paper fractional currency. [Colloq.U.S.]

To separate from a mass, and collect together about centers or along lines of fracture, as in the process of crystallization or solidification.

The decimal point; the dot placed at the left of a decimal fraction, to separate it from the whole number which it follows. The term is sometimes also applied to other marks of separation.

of a serpent; subtle; winding or turning one way and the other, like a moving serpent; anfractuous; meandering; sinuous; zigzag; as, serpentine braid. Thy shape Like his, and color serpentine. Milton.

To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state; to replace; as, to set a broken bone.