RECIP'ROCAL, adjective [Latin reciprocus.]

1. Acting in vicissitude or return; alternate.

Corruption is reciprocal to generation.

2. Mutual; done by each to the other; as reciprocal love; reciprocal benefits or favors; reciprocal duties; reciprocal aid.

3. Mutually interchangeable.

These two rules will render a definition reciprocal with the thing defined.

Reciprocal terms, in logic, those terms that have the same signification, and consequently are convertible and may be used for each other.

Reciprocal quantities, in mathematics, are those which, multiplied together, produce unity.

Reciprocal figures, in geometry, are those which have the antecedents and consequents of the same ratio in both figures.

Reciprocal ratio, is the ratio between the reciprocals of two quantities; as, the reciprocal ratio of 4 to 9, is that of 1/4 to 1/9.

RECIP'ROCAL, noun The reciprocal of any quantity, is unity divided by that quantity. Thus the reciprocal of 4 is 1/4.