push-pull

[ poosh-pool ]

noun

1. Radio. a two-tube symmetrical arrangement in which the grid excitation voltages are opposite in phase.

adjective

1. of or relating to electronic devices having components with balanced signals opposite in phase.

push-pull

noun

1. using two similar electronic devices, such as matched valves, made to operate 180° out of phase with each other. The outputs are combined to produce a signal that replicates the input waveform

   a push-pull amplifier

Word History and Origins

Origin of push-pull¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

“You understand the push-pull,” Riley said.

From Los Angeles Times

It’s a turn that represents a kind of push-pull moment for the titular character.

From Salon

They seem to understand this as the natural push-pull of a long egalitarian partnership, not a source of emasculation.

From Slate

Perhaps it’s just the gravitational pull of Powell’s outsize charisma, but the film is at its best when it’s focused on him and his merry band of content creators, though he needs the push-pull banter with a foil like Edgar-Jones to shine.

From Los Angeles Times

Har’el, who was the lead writer and also directed all seven episodes of the series, sees the characters as part of the same push-pull duality that fuels the entire story.

From Los Angeles Times