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[par-uh-lel, -luh l] /ˈpær əˌlɛl, -ləl/

adjective
1.
extending in the same direction, equidistant at all points, and never converging or diverging:
parallel rows of trees.
2.
having the same direction, course, nature, or tendency; corresponding; similar; analogous:
Canada and the U.S. have many parallel economic interests.
3.
Geometry.

4.
Electricity. consisting of or having component parts connected in parallel:
a parallel circuit.
5.
Music.

6.
Computers.

noun
7.
a parallel line or plane.
8.
anything parallel or comparable in direction, course, nature, or tendency to something else.
9.
Also called parallel of latitude. Geography.

10.
something identical or similar in essential respects; match; counterpart:
a case history without a known parallel.
11.
correspondence or analogy:
These two cases have some parallel with each other.
12.
a comparison of things as if regarded side by side.
13.
Electricity. an arrangement of the components, as resistances, of a circuit in such a way that all positive terminals are connected to one point and all negative terminals are connected to a second point, the same voltage being applied to each component.
Compare (def 9).
14.
Fortification. a trench cut in the ground before a fortress, parallel to its defenses, for the purpose of covering a besieging force.
15.
Printing. a pair of vertical parallel lines (‖) used as a mark for reference.
16.
Theater. a trestle for supporting a platform (parallel top)
verb (used with object), paralleled, paralleling or (especially British) parallelled, parallelling.
17.
to provide or show a parallel for; match.
18.
to go or be in a parallel course, direction, etc., to:
The road parallels the river.
19.
to form a parallel to; be equivalent to; equal.
20.
to show the identity or similarity of; compare.
21.
to make parallel.
/ˈpærəˌlɛl/
adjective when postpositive, usually foll by to
1.
separated by an equal distance at every point; never touching or intersecting: parallel walls
2.
corresponding; similar: parallel situations
3.
(music)

4.
(grammar) denoting syntactic constructions in which the constituents of one construction correspond to those of the other
5.
(computing) operating on several items of information, instructions, etc, simultaneously Compare serial (sense 6)
noun
6.
(maths) one of a set of parallel lines, planes, etc
7.
an exact likeness
8.
a comparison
9.
Also called parallel of latitude. any of the imaginary lines around the earth parallel to the equator, designated by degrees of latitude ranging from 0° at the equator to 90° at the poles
10.

11.
(printing) the character (∥) used as a reference mark
12.
a trench or line lying in advance of and parallel to other defensive positions
verb (transitive) -lels, -leling, -leled
13.
to make parallel
14.
to supply a parallel to
15.
to be a parallel to or correspond with: your experience parallels mine
adj.

1540s, from Middle French parallèle (16c.) and directly from Latin parallelus, from Greek parallelos “parallel,” from para allelois “beside one another,” from para- “beside” (see para- (1)) + allelois “each other,” from allos “other” (see alias). As a noun from 1550s. Parallel bars as gymnastics apparatus are recorded from 1868.
v.

1590s, from parallel (n.).
parallel
(pār’ə-lěl’)
Adjective Of or relating to lines or surfaces that are separated everywhere from each other by the same distance.

Noun Any of the imaginary lines encircling the Earth’s surface parallel to the plane of the equator, used to represent degrees of latitude. See illustration at longitude.

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