entry
reciprocal
/rɪˈsɪprəkəl/Mutual, two-way, or mathematically inverted
From Latin re- (back) + Latin pro- (forward).
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
Word Ancestry
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
from Latin reciprocus, possibly
Picture two travelers on a narrow Roman road: one moves forward, the other comes back, and the whole motion is neither simply “pro” nor simply “re,” but both in a rhythmic alternation. Latin speakers used reciprocus for this returning movement, probably connected with a phrase meaning “back and forward” or “to and fro”; the exact formation is debated, so the word carries a small historical question mark. English adopted reciprocal in the 1560s as a noun and by the 1570s was using it for duties or feelings shared by both sides. The same family later supplied reciprocation, while mathematics gave us the reciprocal of a number—turn 3 upside down into 1/3, and the relationship reverses direction. Remember the word as a verbal boomerang: pro sends something forward, re brings it back, and reciprocal describes what happens when both movements matter.
The Story
Picture two travelers on a narrow Roman road: one moves forward, the other comes back, and the whole motion is neither simply “pro” nor simply “re,” but both in a rhythmic alternation. Latin speakers used reciprocus for this returning movement, probably connected with a phrase meaning “back and forward” or “to and fro”; the exact formation is debated, so the word carries a small historical question mark. English adopted reciprocal in the 1560s as a noun and by the 1570s was using it for duties or feelings shared by both sides. The same family later supplied reciprocation, while mathematics gave us the reciprocal of a number—turn 3 upside down into 1/3, and the relationship reverses direction. Remember the word as a verbal boomerang: pro sends something forward, re brings it back, and reciprocal describes what happens when both movements matter.
Modern Usage
A vulgar slang term for cunnilingus, presented as the opposite of fellatio in a documented Urban Dictionary entry.
Notable References
- Urban Dictionary entry using “reciprocal” in a sexual sense
Kin & Kindred
From 're-'·back, backward, or again
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'pro-'·forward, forth, or on behalf of
Derived Terms
English words from this root