Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Inverse \In*verse"\, a. [L. inversus, p. p. of invertere: cf. F.
   inverse. See {Invert}.]
   1. Opposite in order, relation, or effect; reversed;
      inverted; reciprocal; -- opposed to {direct}.

   2. (Bot.) Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment
      the reverse of that which is usual.

   3. (Math.) Opposite in nature and effect; -- said with
      reference to any two operations, which, when both are
      performed in succession upon any quantity, reproduce that
      quantity; as, multiplication is the inverse operation to
      division. The symbol of an inverse operation is the symbol
      of the direct operation with -1 as an index. Thus sin-1 x
      means the arc whose sine is x.

   {Inverse figures} (Geom.), two figures, such that each point
      of either figure is inverse to a corresponding point in
      the order figure.

   {Inverse points} (Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn
      from the center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so
      related that the product of their distances from the
      center of the circle or sphere is equal to the square of
      the radius.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal}, {ratio} (Math.), the ratio of the
      reciprocals of two quantities.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal, {proportion}, an equality between
      a direct ratio and a reciprocal ratio; thus, 4 : 2 : : 1/3
      : 1/6, or 4 : 2 : : 3 : 6, inversely.

Inverse \In*verse"\, a. [L. inversus, p. p. of invertere: cf. F.
   inverse. See {Invert}.]
   1. Opposite in order, relation, or effect; reversed;
      inverted; reciprocal; -- opposed to {direct}.

   2. (Bot.) Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment
      the reverse of that which is usual.

   3. (Math.) Opposite in nature and effect; -- said with
      reference to any two operations, which, when both are
      performed in succession upon any quantity, reproduce that
      quantity; as, multiplication is the inverse operation to
      division. The symbol of an inverse operation is the symbol
      of the direct operation with -1 as an index. Thus sin-1 x
      means the arc whose sine is x.

   {Inverse figures} (Geom.), two figures, such that each point
      of either figure is inverse to a corresponding point in
      the order figure.

   {Inverse points} (Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn
      from the center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so
      related that the product of their distances from the
      center of the circle or sphere is equal to the square of
      the radius.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal}, {ratio} (Math.), the ratio of the
      reciprocals of two quantities.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal, {proportion}, an equality between
      a direct ratio and a reciprocal ratio; thus, 4 : 2 : : 1/3
      : 1/6, or 4 : 2 : : 3 : 6, inversely.

Inverse \In*verse"\, a. [L. inversus, p. p. of invertere: cf. F.
   inverse. See {Invert}.]
   1. Opposite in order, relation, or effect; reversed;
      inverted; reciprocal; -- opposed to {direct}.

   2. (Bot.) Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment
      the reverse of that which is usual.

   3. (Math.) Opposite in nature and effect; -- said with
      reference to any two operations, which, when both are
      performed in succession upon any quantity, reproduce that
      quantity; as, multiplication is the inverse operation to
      division. The symbol of an inverse operation is the symbol
      of the direct operation with -1 as an index. Thus sin-1 x
      means the arc whose sine is x.

   {Inverse figures} (Geom.), two figures, such that each point
      of either figure is inverse to a corresponding point in
      the order figure.

   {Inverse points} (Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn
      from the center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so
      related that the product of their distances from the
      center of the circle or sphere is equal to the square of
      the radius.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal}, {ratio} (Math.), the ratio of the
      reciprocals of two quantities.

   {Inverse}, or {Reciprocal, {proportion}, an equality between
      a direct ratio and a reciprocal ratio; thus, 4 : 2 : : 1/3
      : 1/6, or 4 : 2 : : 3 : 6, inversely.

Inverse \In"verse\, n.
   That which is inverse.

         Thus the course of human study is the inverse of the
         course of things in nature.              --Tatham.

Source : WordNet®

inverse
     n : something inverted in sequence or character or effect; "when
         the direct approach failed he tried the inverse" [syn: {opposite}]

inverse
     adj 1: reversed (turned backward) in order or nature or effect
            [syn: {reverse}]
     2: opposite in nature or effect or relation to another quantity
        ; "a term is in inverse proportion to another term if it
        increases (or decreases) as the other decreases (or
        increases)" [ant: {direct}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

inverse
     
         Given a {function}, f : D -> C, a function g : C
        -> D is called a left inverse for f if for all d in D, g (f d)
        = d and a right inverse if, for all c in C, f (g c) = c and an
        inverse if both conditions hold.  Only an {injection} has a
        left inverse, only a {surjection} has a right inverse and only
        a {bijection} has inverses.  The inverse of f is often written
        as f with a -1 superscript.
     
        (1996-03-12)