push-pull

An alternation or fluctuation between two opposites; a back-and-forth dispute, a tug of war.

Adjective

  1. Operated by pushing and pulling.
    • I thought he was rather foolish when he selected the revolving door instead of taking the orthodox push-pull door at the side. - 1946, George Johnston, Skyscrapers in the Mist, page 35:

    1. (rail transport) Operating with locomotives at both the head and rear of a train, or with a locomotive at one end and a driving position in the vehicle at the opposite end, so that the train can be driven from either end.

      • The coaches require modifications, including work to ensure they can work in push-pull mode with Class 67 locos. - 2019 October, Rhodri Clark, “TfW seeks PRM derogation for Class 37 sets”, in Modern Railways, page 87:
      • That train is Inspection Saloon 975025, better known as Caroline. It's a former Hastings line Class 201 diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) buffet car converted to run in push-pull operation, with large windows at both...
  2. Having two electronic devices in opposite phase.

Synonyms

push-and-pull

Related

push-pull amplifier

Noun

  1. An alternation or fluctuation between two opposites; a back-and-forth dispute, a tug of war.
    • In Europe, the debate around abortion access has been regalvanised by the pandemic, and last year Poland passed a near total ban, […]. Elsewhere we’ve seen a swing in the opposite direction, […]. The overall effect of...
    • The push-pull puts us more or less in the same shoes as protagonist Lucy (Grace Van Patten), who spends years wriggling on his hook before she’s finally able to cut herself free — and it’s that keen understanding of the...

    Synonyms: push-and-pull

Forms

push-pulls