Definition
To turn upside down, or to reverse the position, order, or direction of something. In aviation contexts, invert commonly refers to flipping an aircraft so that the top surface faces downward (inverted flight), or to reversing an electrical signal, waveform, or sequence so that its values are the opposite of what they were.
Plain English
To flip something upside down, or to reverse it so it becomes the opposite of how it started.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft electrical-system descriptions, especially around equipment that uses an inverter, a device that performs this change.
Derivation
From the Latin invertere, meaning 'to turn around' or 'to turn upside down' (in- = 'in, into' + vertere = 'to turn'). The aviation use keeps that original sense: turning something into the opposite of its normal orientation.
Why Pilots Care
Inverted flight changes fuel and oil flow, requires different control pressures, and demands precise recovery techniques to avoid engine stoppage or loss of control.
Intuition Check
Do not read invert here as turning the airplane upside down. In this electrical context, it means changing direct current into alternating current.
Example Sentence 1
During the aerobatic routine, the pilot inverted the aircraft and held level flight for several seconds before rolling upright.
Example Sentence 2
During the airshow routine the pilot chose to invert while passing over the crowd.