parallel

par|al|lel1 [ `perə,lel ] adjective **

1. ) lines that are parallel are the same distance apart at every point along their whole length:

I drew two parallel lines around the border of the drawing.

parallel to: He leaned forward so that his body was almost parallel to the ground.

parallel with: The river enters the town from the east and flows parallel with the main street.

2. ) happening at the same time or in the same way but separately:

There will be parallel announcements from both governments.

Parallel efforts by many groups aim to research how to use the Internet more successfully.

3. ) COMPUTING performing several operations at the same time

parallel

par|al|lel 2 [ `perə,lel ] noun count **

1. ) a way in which separate things or people are similar to each other:

parallel between: There are many parallels between the two attacks.

parallel with: The parallels with developments in the software industry are clear for all to see.

a ) someone or something that is similar to another person or thing:

This attempt at welfare reform has parallels in several other countries.

no parallel: There is no parallel in modern history for the military superiority the United States currently has.

without parallel: Woods is a golfer without parallel (=no one is better) in terms of talent.

2. ) a comparison between things:

draw a parallel with/between: A number of books at that time tried to draw parallels between brains and computers.

3. ) an imaginary line around the Earth at a fixed distance from the EQUATOR:

The 49th parallel marks part of the boundary between the United States and Canada.

in parallel

if two or more things happen in parallel, they happen at the same time and are connected:

in parallel with: Advertising has developed in parallel with modern industry and the mass media.

parallel

par|al|lel 3 [ `perə,lel ] verb transitive

1. ) to be similar to something

2. ) to be equal to something else:

U.S. naval and air superiority was paralleled by Soviet superiority in land-based missile systems.

3. ) if one thing parallels another, they are the same distance apart at every point along their whole length:

The road paralleled the stream for fifty miles before veering to the north.