RECIPROCATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does reciprocate mean? 

• RECIPROCATE (verb)
  The verb RECIPROCATE has 2 senses:

1. act, feel, or give mutually or in return

2. alternate the direction of motion of

  Familiarity information: RECIPROCATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RECIPROCATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they reciprocate    ... he / she / it reciprocates   
Past simple: reciprocated   
Past participle: reciprocated   
-ing form: reciprocating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Act, feel, or give mutually or in return

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

We always invite the neighbors and they never reciprocate!

Hypernyms (to "reciprocate" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "reciprocate"):

return (return in kind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

reciprocation (mutual interaction; the activity of reciprocating or exchanging (especially information))

reciprocation (the act of making or doing something in return)

reciprocative (moving alternately backward and forward)

reciprocative; reciprocatory (given or done or owed to each other)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Alternate the direction of motion of

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

the engine reciprocates the propeller

Hypernyms (to "reciprocate" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

reciprocation (alternating back-and-forth movement)

reciprocative; reciprocatory (moving alternately backward and forward)

 Context examples 

He feelingly alluded to the young lady, unknown, whom Traddles had honoured with his affection, and who had reciprocated that affection by honouring and blessing Traddles with her affection.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Surely the Mary Ann Wilson I have mentioned was inferior to my first acquaintance: she could only tell me amusing stories, and reciprocate any racy and pungent gossip I chose to indulge in; while, if I have spoken truth of Helen, she was qualified to give those who enjoyed the privilege of her converse a taste of far higher things.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

If, on the eve of such a departure, you will accompany our mutual friend, Mr. Thomas Traddles, to our present abode, and there reciprocate the wishes natural to the occasion, you will confer a Boon

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)