Definitions for parallel
ˈpær əˌlɛl, -ləlpar·al·lel

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.7 / 7 votes

1. analogue, analog, parallelnoun

   something having the property of being analogous to something else

2. latitude, line of latitude, parallel of latitude, parallelnoun

   an imaginary line around the Earth parallel to the equator

3. paralleladjective

   (mathematics) one of a set of parallel geometric figures (parallel lines or planes)

   "parallels never meet"

4. paralleladjective

   being everywhere equidistant and not intersecting

   "parallel lines never converge"; "concentric circles are parallel"; "dancers in two parallel rows"

5. parallelverb

   of or relating to the simultaneous performance of multiple operations

   "parallel processing"

6. parallelverb

   be parallel to

   "Their roles are paralleled by ours"

7. parallel, collimateverb

   make or place parallel to something

   "They paralleled the ditch to the highway"

8. twin, duplicate, parallelverb

   duplicate or match

   "The polished surface twinned his face and chest in reverse"

GCIDERate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Parallelnoun

   (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.

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. parallelnoun

   One of a set of parallel lines.

2. parallelnoun

   A line of latitude.

   The 31st parallel passes through the center of my town.

3. parallelnoun

   An arrangement of electrical components such that a current flows along two or more paths; see in parallel

4. parallelnoun

   Something identical or similar in essential respects

5. parallelverb

   To construct something parallel to something else.

6. parallelverb

   Of a path etc: To be parallel to something else.

7. parallelverb

   Of a process etc: To be analogous to something else.

8. parallelverb

   To compare or liken something to something else.

9. paralleladverb

   With a parallel relationship

   The road runs parallel with the canal.

10. paralleladjective

    Equally distant from one another at all points.

    The horizontal lines on my notebook paper are parallel.

11. paralleladjective

    Having the same overall direction; the comparison is indicated with "to".

12. paralleladjective

    said of a pair of lines: that they either do not intersect or they coincide

13. paralleladjective

    Involving the processing of multiple tasks at the same time

    a parallel algorithm

14. Etymology: From παράλληλος, from παρά + ἄλληλος, along each other

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. PARALLELadjective

   Etymology: παϱάλληλος; parallele, Fr.

   1. Extended in the same direction, and preserving always the same distance.

   Distorting the order and theory of causes perpendicular to their effects, he draws them aside unto things whereto they run parallel, and their proper motions would never meet together. Thomas Browne, Vulgar Errours.

   2. Having the same tendency.

   When honour runs parallel with the laws of God and our country, it cannot be too much cherished; but when the dictates of honour are contrary to those of religion and equity, they are the great depravations of human nature. Addison.

   3. Continuing the resemblance through many particulars; equal; like.

   The foundation principle of peripateticism is exactly parallel to an acknowledged nothing. Joseph Glanvill.

   I shall observe something parallel to the wooing and wedding suit in the behaviour of persons of figure. Addison.

   Compare the words and phrases in one place of an author, with the same in other places of the same author, which are generally called parallel places. Isaac Watts.

2. Parallelnoun

   Etymology: from the adjective.

   1. Lines continuing their course, and still remaining at the same distance from each other.

   Who made the spider parallels design,
   Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line? Alexander Pope.

   2. Lines on the globe marking the latitude.3. Direction conformable to that of another line.

   Dissentions, like small streams, are first begun,
   Scarce seen they rise but gather as they run;
   So lines, that from their parallel decline,
   More they proceed, the more they still disjoin. Samuel Garth.

   4. Resemblance; conformity continued through many particulars; likeness.

   Such a resemblance of all parts,
   Life, death, age, fortune, nature, arts;
   She lights her torch at theirs to tell,
   And shew the world this parallel. John Denham.

   ’Twixt earthly females and the moon,
   All parallels exactly run. Jonathan Swift, Miscel.

   5. Comparison made.

   The parallel holds in the gainlesness, as well as laboriousness of the work. Decay of Piety.

   A reader cannot be more rationally entertained, than by comparing and drawing a parallel between his own private character, and that of other persons. Addison.

   6. Any thing resembling another.

   Thou ungrateful brute, if thou wouldst find thy parallel, go to hell, which is both the region and the emblem of ingratitude. Robert South, Sermons.

   For works like these, let deathless journals tell,
   None but thyself can be thy parallel. Alexander Pope.

3. To Parallelverb

   Etymology: from the noun.

   1. To place, so as always to keep the same direction with another line.

   The Azores having a middle situation between these continents and that vast tract of America, the needle seemeth equally distracted by both, and diverting unto neither, doth parallel and place itself upon the true meridian. Brown.

   2. To keep in the same direction; to level.

   His life is parallel’d
   Ev’n with the stroke and line of his great justice. William Shakespeare.

   3. To correspond to.

   That he stretched out the north over the empty places, seems to parallel the expression of David, he stretched out the earth upon the waters. Burnet.

   4. To be equal to; to resemble through many particulars.

   In the fire, the destruction was so swift, sudden, vast and miserable, as nothing can parallel in story. Dryden.

   5. To compare.

   I parallel’d more than once, our idea of sustance, with the Indian philosopher’s he-knew-not-what, which supported the tortoise. John Locke.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. parallel

   Parallel refers to two or more lines, planes, or surfaces that are equally distant from each other at all points and never intersect or meet, regardless of how far they are extended. In a broader context, it can also refer to things that are similar, comparable, or analogous to each other in some way.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Paralleladjective

   extended in the same direction, and in all parts equally distant; as, parallel lines; parallel planes

2. Paralleladjective

   having the same direction or tendency; running side by side; being in accordance (with); tending to the same result; -- used with to and with

3. Paralleladjective

   continuing a resemblance through many particulars; applicable in all essential parts; like; similar; as, a parallel case; a parallel passage

4. Parallelnoun

   a line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant from another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc

5. Parallelnoun

   direction conformable to that of another line,

6. Parallelnoun

   conformity continued through many particulars or in all essential points; resemblance; similarity

7. Parallelnoun

   a comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity; as, Johnson's parallel between Dryden and Pope

8. Parallelnoun

   anything equal to, or resembling, another in all essential particulars; a counterpart

9. Parallelnoun

   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

10. Parallelnoun

    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

11. Parallelnoun

    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

12. Parallelverb

    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

13. Parallelverb

    fig.: To make to conform to something else in character, motive, aim, or the like

14. Parallelverb

    to equal; to match; to correspond to

15. Parallelverb

    to produce or adduce as a parallel

16. Parallelverb

    to be parallel; to correspond; to be like

17. Etymology: [F. parallle, L. parallelus, fr. Gr. ; para` beside + of one another, fr. other, akin to L. alius. See Alien.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Parallel

   Parallelism is a term in geometry that refers to a property in Euclidean space of two or more lines or planes, or a combination of these. The assumed existence and properties of parallel lines are the basis of Euclid's parallel postulate. Two lines in a plane that do not intersect or touch at a point are called parallel lines. Likewise, a line and a plane, or two planes, in three-dimensional Euclidean space that do not share a point are said to be parallel. In a non-Euclidean space, parallel lines are those that intersect only in the limit at infinity.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Parallel

   par′al-lel, adj. side by side: (geom.) extended in the same direction and equi-distant in all parts: with the same direction or tendency: running in accordance with: resembling in all essential points: like or similar.—n. a line equi-distant from another at all points: a line drawn across a map or round a globe at right angles to the axis, marking latitude: likeness: a comparison: counterpart: (pl.) trenches, dug parallel to the outline of a besieged fortress to protect the besiegers (mil.).—v.t. to place so as to be parallel: to correspond, or to make to correspond, to:—pr.p. par′alleling or par′allelling; pa.p. par′alleled or par′allelled.—n. Par′allelism, state of being parallel: resemblance: comparison: likeness of form or meaning, as of two statements, clauses, or verses.—adj. Parallelis′tic, of the nature of, or involving, parallelism.—adv. Par′allelly.—Parallel bars, a pair of bars securely fixed, 4 to 6 feet above the ground, and about 1½ feet apart, used in gymnastics to strengthen the arms; Parallel forces, forces which act in parallel lines, having a single resultant, readily found by the method of moments; Parallel motion, a name given to any linkage by which circular motion may be changed into straight-line motion; Parallel rulers, a mathematical instrument for drawing parallel lines. [Fr.,—L. parallelus—Gr. parallēlos—para, beside, allēlōn, of one another—allos, another.]

The Standard Electrical DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Parallel

   (a) In the nomenclature of electric circuits two or more conductors leading from one point to another, are said to be in parallel. (b) When two or more conductors connect two main leads of comparatively large size and low resistance they are said to be in parallel or in multiple arc. This order is easiest pictured as the rungs of a ladder in parallel connecting its two sides representing the main leads. It may be used as a noun as "arranged in parallel," or as an adjective as "a parallel circuit," the opposite of series, q. v.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. parallel

   A term for those lines that preserve an equal distance from each other. It is sometimes used instead of latitude, as, "Our orders were to cruise in the parallel of Madeira." More definitely, they are imaginary circles parallel with the equator, ninety in the northern, and ninety in the southern hemispheres.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. parallel

   A line in an equal and known specific direction.

   The ship was parallel to the horizon.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on January 12, 2020  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. parallel

   Song lyrics by parallel -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by parallel on the Lyrics.com website.

EntomologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Parallel

   along the same line and nearly equidistant.

Matched Categories

1. • Change
   • Correspond
   • Line
   • Match

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parallel' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #4774

2. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parallel' in Nouns Frequency: #2419

3. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'parallel' in Adjectives Frequency: #663

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce parallel?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say parallel in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of parallel in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of parallel in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of parallel in a Sentence

1. Tom Malinowski:

   I completely understand the desire among some of my colleagues to make progress in parallel on the reconciliation bill, but I also don't think given the progress, holding infrastructure hostage would be justified.

2. Paton Walsh:

   The Taliban are resisting pretty clearly, iSIS, if they do emerge, will be a parallel often competing system to the Taliban, but they face a few challenges in Afghanistan, not least decades old networks of loyalty, cash and guns.

3. Lombard Odier strategist Charles St-Arnaud:

   What Trump tweeted about French wine, I can see the parallel with Canadian milk.

4. Mr Stergiopoulos:

   We have demonstrated that two of the three most serious banana fungal diseases have become more virulent by increasing their ability to manipulate the banana’s metabolic path ways and make use of its nutrients, this parallel change in metabolism of the pathogen and the host plant has been overlooked until now and may represent a ‘ molecular fingerprint ’ of the adaptation process.

5. Fabio Forgione:

   The international community is too focused, probably, on the fight against ISIS ... that the importance ... of increasing the humanitarian assistance is not taken into account, it is .. important to make sure that humanitarian assistance grows in parallel to the military operations which are carried out.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=parallel
2. ^ GCIDE
   https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=parallel
3. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Parallel
4. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=parallel
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parallel
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=parallel
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=parallel
9. ^ The Standard Electrical Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26535/pg26535-images.html#:~:text=parallel
10. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=parallel
11. ^ Entomology
    https://www.gutenberg.org/files/22748/22748-h/22748-h.htm#:~:text=parallel
12. ^ Usage in printed sources
    https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=parallel