I. ˈn(y)ü.trəl adjective
Etymology: Middle French, from (assumed) Medieval Latin neutralis, from Latin, of neuter gender, from neutr-, neuter neuter + -alis -al
1.
a. : not engaged on either side : not siding with or assisting either of two or more contending parties
b. of a state or power : lending no active assistance to either or any belligerent
2. : of or belonging to a neutral state or power : not involved in hostilities
neutral territory
3.
a. : being neither one thing nor the other : belonging to neither of two usually opposed or contrasted classes : not decided or pronounced as to characteristics : middling , indifferent
a neutral character without marked virtues or vices
b.
(1) : totally lacking in saturation : achromatic , hueless
(2) : not decided in color : nearly achromatic : of low saturation
c.
(1) : neuter 4
(2) : lacking stamens or pistils
d.
(1) : neither acid nor basic : neither acid nor alkaline ; specifically : having a pH value of 7.0
a neutral solution contains both hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions at the same concentration, 1.00×10 -7 — Linus Pauling
(2) : normal 10c
a neutral salt
(3) : neither degressive nor progressive
neutral burning of propellants in which the total surface remains nearly constant
e.
(1) : not electrically charged
a neutral particle
(2) : being at an arbitrary zero of electrical potential
(3) : being at a potential midway between extremes
f. : being the position in which a propelling mechanism although itself revolving freely transmits no motion to the parts to be driven
g.
(1) : neither distinctively physical nor distinctively mental
neutral stuff
neutral entities
(2) : common to the knowing mind and the object known
h. : being neither milk nor meat nor prepared with dairy products or meat derivatives : pareve
i. usually capitalized : transition
4.
a.
(1) of the tongue or lips : being in a rest position intermediate between extreme positions to which movable
(2) of the tongue : lying low in the mouth and having no effort-produced arching
the neutral articulation of either vowel of əˈbəv above
(3) of the lips : open and with the corners of the mouth neither closely approximated nor widely separated
the neutral articulation of the vowel of hut or art
b. of a vowel : produced with the tongue in a position of rest : having brief duration : not of strongly defined or readily perceptible quality : unstressed
either neutral vowel of əˈbəv above
the neutral vowel schwa
• neu·tral·ly -rəlē, -li adverb
• neu·tral·ness -lnə̇s noun -es
II. noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a person, party, ship, or nation that takes or belongs to one who takes no part in a contest between others : one that exhibits neutrality
b. usually capitalized
(1) neutrals plural : an Iroquoian people of the region about Lake Erie in Canada and the United States
(2) : a member of such people
2. : a neutral color
3. : a neutral substance: as
a. : neutral lard
b. : neutral oil 2
4.
a. : an electrically neutral point, wire, conductor, bus bar, or other element
b. : a neutral position of driving and driven parts of a machine : a position of disengagement (as of gears from the motive power)
when the transmission is in neutral , it means simply that the flow of power is cut off in the transmission so that rotation of the clutch shaft is not transmitted to the main shaft — Joseph Heitner