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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Parallel \Par"al*lel\, n.
1. A line which, throughout its whole extent, is equidistant
from another line; a parallel line, a parallel plane, etc.
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Who made the spider parallels design,
Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line ? --Pope.
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2. Direction conformable to that of another line,
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Lines that from their parallel decline. --Garth.
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3. Conformity continued through many particulars or in all
essential points; resemblance; similarity.
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Twixt earthly females and the moon
All parallels exactly run. --Swift.
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4. A comparison made; elaborate tracing of similarity; as,
Johnson's parallel between Dryden and Pope.
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5. Anything equal to, or resembling, another in all essential
particulars; a counterpart.
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None but thyself can be thy parallel. --Pope.
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6. (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.
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7. (Mil.) 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.
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8. (Print.) 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.
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9. (Elec.) That arrangement of an electrical system in which
all positive poles, electrodes, terminals, etc., are
joined to one conductor, and all negative poles, etc., to
another conductor; -- called also {multiple}. Opposed to
{series}.

Note: Parts of a system so arranged are said to be

{in parallel} or

{in multiple}.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]

{Limiting parallels}. See under {Limit}, v. t.

{Parallel of altitude} (Astron.), one of the small circles of
the sphere, parallel to the horizon; an almucantar.

{Parallel of declination} (Astron.), one of the small circles
of the sphere, parallel to the equator.

{Parallel of latitude}.
(a) (Geog.) See def. 6. above.
(b) (Astron.) One of the small circles of the sphere,
parallel to the ecliptic.
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Multiple \Mul"ti*ple\, n. (Math.)
A quantity containing another quantity an integral number of
times without a remainder.
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Note: A

{common multiple} of two or more numbers contains each of
them a number of times exactly; thus, 24 is a common
multiple of 3 and 4. The

{least common multiple} is the smallest number that will do
this; thus, 12 is the least common multiple of 3 and 4
(abbreviated LCM).
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Multiple \Mul"ti*ple\, a. [Cf. F. multiple, and E. quadruple,
and multiply.]
Containing more than once, or more than one; consisting of
more than one; manifold; repeated many times; having several,
or many, parts.
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{Law of multiple proportion} (Chem.), the generalization that
when the same elements unite in more than one proportion,
forming two or more different compounds, the higher
proportions of the elements in such compounds are simple
multiples of the lowest proportion, or the proportions are
connected by some simple common factor; thus, iron and
oxygen unite in the proportions {FeO}, {Fe2O3}, {Fe3O4},
in which compounds, considering the oxygen, 3 and 4 are
simple multiplies of 1. Called also the {Law of Dalton} or
{Dalton's Law}, from its discoverer.

{Multiple algebra}, a branch of advanced mathematics that
treats of operations upon units compounded of two or more
unlike units.

{Multiple conjugation} (Biol.), a coalescence of many cells
(as where an indefinite number of amoeboid cells flow
together into a single mass) from which conjugation proper
and even fertilization may have been evolved.

{Multiple fruits}. (Bot.) See {Collective fruit}, under
{Collective}.

{Multiple star} (Astron.), several stars in close proximity,
which appear to form a single system.
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