reciprocate

English

Etymology

From Latin recīprocō (“to move back and forth”), possibly from a phrase such as reque proque (“back and forth”), from re- (“back”), prō (“forwards”) and -que (“and”). Compare reciprocal.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈsɪpɹəˌkeɪt/
Audio (US) (file)
Hyphenation: re‧ci‧pro‧cate

Verb

reciprocate (third-person singular simple present reciprocates, present participle reciprocating, simple past and past participle reciprocated)

(transitive) To exchange two things, with both parties giving one thing and taking another thing.
(transitive) To give something else in response (where the "thing" may also be abstract, a feeling or action) To make a reciprocal gift.
I gave them apples from my tree; they reciprocated with a pie and some apple jelly.

2019, Con Man Games; SmashGames, quoting Nugget, Kindergarten 2, SmashGames:
Nugget appreciates the generosity! Nugget will reciprocate with a Monstermon card!
(intransitive) To move backwards and forwards, like a piston.
A reciprocating engine.
- 1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 403869432:
  One brawny smith the puffing bellows plies, / And draws and blows reciprocating air.
(intransitive) To counter, retort or retaliate.

Translations

to mutually give and take something; to interchange

Arabic: بَادَلَ‎ (bādala)
Bulgarian: разменям (bg) (razmenjam)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 報答／报答 (zh) (bàodá), 往復／往复 (zh) (wǎngfù), 回報／回报 (zh) (huíbào)
Finnish: vaihtaa (fi)
French: donner en retour, réciproquer (fr), rendre la pareille (fr)
German: ^{(please verify)} etwas austauschen
Italian: reciprocare
Japanese: 返す (ja) (かえす, kaesu), 交換する (こうかんする, kōkan-suru)
Russian: обмениваться (ru) (obmenivatʹsja), (e.g. of love) отвеча́ть (ru) (otvečátʹ)

to give something in response

Arabic: تَبَادَلَ‎ (tabādala), رَدَّ‎ (ar) (radda)
Bulgarian: отплащам се (otplaštam se)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 報答／报答 (zh) (bàodá)
Czech: opětovat impf, oplatit pf, oplácet impf
Dutch: beantwoorden (nl)
Finnish: vastata (fi), antaa vastalahja
German: erwidern (de)
Hungarian: viszonoz (hu)
Portuguese: recompensar (pt), devolver (pt)
Russian: вернуться (ru) pf (vernutʹsja), возвращаться (ru) impf (vozvraščatʹsja), воздавать (ru) impf (vozdavatʹ), воздать (ru) pf (vozdatʹ), возмещать (ru) impf (vozmeščatʹ), возместить (ru) pf (vozmestitʹ)
Spanish: recompensar (es)
Swedish: återgälda (sv)

to move backwards and forwards, like a piston

Finnish: liikkua edestakaisin, kiertää (fi)
Hungarian: ide-oda/előre-hátra mozog/jár/leng
Maori: kōkeke
Russian: ^{(please verify)} дви́гаться возвратно-поступательно (dvígatʹsja vozvratno-postupatelʹno)

to counter, retort or retaliate

Bulgarian: отвръщам (bg) (otvrǎštam)
Finnish: vastata (fi)
German: erwidern (de)
Russian: ^{(please verify)} отвеча́ть взаимностью (otvečátʹ vzaimnostʹju)

Italian

Verb

reciprocate

inflection of reciprocare:
1. second-person plural present indicative
2. second-person plural imperative

Participle

reciprocate f pl

feminine plural of reciprocato