parallel

 
Pronunciation: /ˈparəlɛl/

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)

[with object]
  • 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

Phrases

in parallel

occurring at the same time and having some connection: various elements of the booster station have been developed in parallel
(of electrical components or circuits) connected to common points at each end; not in series.

Origin:

mid 16th century: from French parallèle, via Latin from Greek parallēlos, from para- 'alongside' + allēlos 'one another'

Spelling help

Spell parallel with a double l before the e and a single l after it.

Spelling help

The different forms of the verb are spelled parallels, paralleling, paralleled (it does not follow the usual rule that a final l is doubled when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l).