parallel

adjective

• 1(of lines, planes, or surfaces) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them:parallel lines never meet the road runs parallel to the Ottawa River

• 2occurring or existing at the same time or in a similar way; corresponding:a parallel universe they shared a flat in London while establishing parallel careers

• 3of or denoting electrical components or circuits connected to common points at each end, rather than one to another in sequence. The opposite of series.

• 4 Computing involving the simultaneous performance of operations: highly parallel multiprocessor systems

noun

• 1a person or thing that is similar or analogous to another:a challenge which has no parallel in peacetime this century
• a similarity or comparison:she draws a parallel between personal destiny and social forces

• 2 (also parallel of latitude) each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth’s surface.

• 3 Printing two parallel lines (‖) as a reference mark.

verb (parallels, paralleling, paralleled)

• 1be side by side with (something extending in a line), always keeping the same distance; run or lie parallel to:a big concrete gutter that paralleled the road

• 2be similar or corresponding to:the increase in the quality of wines has paralleled the rise of interest in food