about-face vs inverse

about-face

noun
  • A reversal in direction; a reversal of attitude or opinion. 

  • An abrupt turn to face the opposite direction. 

verb
  • To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction. 

  • To change opinion or attitude drastically. 

inverse

noun
  • The reverse of any procedure or process. 

  • The result of a circle inversion; the set of all such points; the curve described by such a set. 

  • A morphism which is both a left inverse and a right inverse. 

  • A ratio etc. in which the antecedents and consequents are switched. 

  • The negative of a given number. 

  • A second function which, when combined with the initially given function, yields as its output any term inputted into the first function. 

  • The winning of the coup in a game of rouge et noir by a card of a color different from that first dealt; the area of the table reserved for bets upon such an outcome. 

  • A grammatical number marking that indicates the opposite grammatical number (or numbers) of the default number specification of noun class. 

  • The non-truth-preserving proposition constructed by negating both the premise and conclusion of an initially given proposition. 

  • One divided by a given number. 

  • An inverted state: a state in which something has been turned (properly) upside down or (loosely) inside out or backwards. 

verb
  • To compute the bearing and distance between two points. 

adj
  • Opposite in effect, nature or order. 

  • Having the properties of an inverse; said with reference to any two operations, which, when both are performed in succession upon any quantity, reproduce that quantity. 

  • Reverse, opposite in order. 

  • Inverted; having a position or mode of attachment the reverse of that which is usual. 

  • That has the property of being an inverse (the result of a circle inversion of a given point or geometrical figure); that is constructed by circle inversion. 

  • Whose every element has an inverse (morphism which is both a left inverse and a right inverse). 

How often have the words about-face and inverse occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )