Period PE'RIOD, n. [L. periodus; Gr. about, and way.] 1. Properly,
a circuit; hence, the time which is taken up by a planet in making its
revolution round the sun, or the duration of its course till it returns to
the point of its orbit where it began. Thus the period of the earth or its
annual revolution is 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes, and 30 seconds.
2. In chronology, a stated number of years; a revolution or series of
years by which time is measured; as the Calippic period; the Dionysian
period; the Julian period. 3. Any series of years or of days in
which a revolution is completed, and the same course is to begun.
4. Any specified portion of time, designated by years, months, days or
hours complete; as a period of a thousand years; the period of a year;
the period of a day. 5. End; conclusion. Death puts a period to a
state of probation. 6. An indefinite portion of any continued state,
existence or series of events; as the first period of life; the last
period of a king's reign; the early periods of history. 7. State
at which any thing terminates; limit. 8. Length or usual length of
duration. 9. A complete sentence from one full stop to another.
Periods are beautiful when they are not too long. 10. The point that
marks the end of a complete sentence; a full stop,thus, (.) 11. In
numbers, a distinction made by a point or comma after every sixth place
or figure. 12. In medicine, the time of intention and remission
of a disease, or of the paroxysm and remission. Julian period, in
chronology, a period of 7980 years; a number produced by multiplying 28,
the years of the solar cycle, into 19, the years of the lunar cycle, and
their product by 15, the years of the Roman indiction. PE'RIOD,
v.t. To put an end to. [Not used.]
period
n 1: an amount of time; "a time period of 30 years"; "hastened
the period of time of his recovery"; "Picasso's blue
period" [syn: time period, period of time, period]
2: the interval taken to complete one cycle of a regularly
repeating phenomenon
3: (ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is
divided in hockey games
4: a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks
formed; "ganoid fishes swarmed during the earlier geological
periods" [syn: period, geological period]
5: the end or completion of something; "death put a period to
his endeavors"; "a change soon put a period to my
tranquility"
6: the monthly discharge of blood from the uterus of nonpregnant
women from puberty to menopause; "the women were sickly and
subject to excessive menstruation"; "a woman does not take
the gout unless her menses be stopped"--Hippocrates; "the
semen begins to appear in males and to be emitted at the same
time of life that the catamenia begin to flow in females"--
Aristotle [syn: menstruation, menses, menstruum,
catamenia, period, flow]
7: a punctuation mark (.) placed at the end of a declarative
sentence to indicate a full stop or after abbreviations; "in
England they call a period a stop" [syn: period, point,
full stop, stop, full point]
period I. nounEtymology: Middle English periode, from Middle French, from
Medieval Latin, Latin, & Greek; Medieval Latin periodus period of
time, punctuation mark, from Latin & Greek; Latin, rhetorical period,
from Greek periodos circuit, period of time, rhetorical period,
from peri- + hodos way Date: circa 1530 1.
the completion of a cycle, a series of events, or a single action ;conclusion2.a.(1) an utterance from one full stop to another ;sentence(2) a well-proportioned sentence of several clauses
(3)periodic sentenceb. a musical structure or melodic section usually composed of two or
more contrasting or complementary phrases and ending with a cadence 3.a. the full pause with which the utterance of a sentence closes
b.end, stop4.obsoletegoal, purpose5.a.(1) a point . used to mark the end (as of a declarative
sentence or an abbreviation) (2) — used interjectionally to
emphasize the finality of the preceding statement <I don't remember
— period>
b. a rhythmical unit in Greek verse composed of a series of two
or more cola 6.a. a portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon
b.(1) the interval of time required for a cyclic motion or phenomenon
to complete a cycle and begin to repeat itself (2) a number k
that does not change the value of a periodic function f when added
to the independent variable; especially the smallest such number
c. a single cyclic occurrence of menstruation 7.a. a chronological division ;stageb. a division
of geologic time longer than an epoch and included in an era c.
a stage of culture having a definable place in time and space
8.a. one of the divisions of the academic day b.
one of the divisions of the playing time of a game
Synonyms:period, epoch, era, age mean a division
of time. period may designate an extent of time of any length
<periods of economic prosperity>. epoch applies to a
period begun or set off by some significant or striking quality, change,
or series of events <the steam engine marked a new epoch in
industry>. era suggests a period of history marked by a new or distinct
order of things <the era of global communications>. age
is used frequently of a fairly definite period dominated by a prominent
figure or feature <the age of Samuel Johnson>.
II. adjectiveDate: 1905
of, relating to, or representing a particular historical period
<period furniture> <period costumes>
period n. & adj. --n. 1 a length or portion of time (showers and bright periods). 2 a distinct portion of history, a person's life, etc. (the Georgian period; Picasso's Blue Period). 3
Geol. a time forming part of a geological era (the Quaternary period). 4 a an interval between recurrences of an astronomical or other phenomenon. b the time taken by a planet to rotate about its
axis. 5 the time allowed for a lesson in school. 6 an occurrence of menstruation. 7 a a complete sentence, esp. one consisting of several clauses. b (in pl.) rhetorical language. 8 esp.
US a = full stop (see FULL(1)). b used at the end of a sentence etc. to indicate finality, absoluteness, etc. (we want the best, period). 9 a a set of figures marked off in a large number to assist
in reading. b a set of figures repeated in a recurring decimal. c the smallest interval over which a function takes the same value. 10 Chem. a sequence of elements between two noble gases forming
a row in the periodic table. --adj. belonging to or characteristic of some past period (period furniture). Phrases and idioms: of the period of the era under discussion (the custom of
the period). period piece an object or work whose main interest lies in its historical etc. associations. Etymology: ME f. OF periode f. L periodus f. Gk periodos (as PERI-, odos = hodos
way)
period
(periods)Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1. A period is a length of time.
This crisis might last for a long period of time....a period of a few months....for a limited period only.N-COUNT: usu with supp
2. A period in the life of a person, organization, or society is a length of time which
is remembered for a particular situation or activity.
...a period of economic good health and expansion...He went through a period of wanting to be accepted...The South African years were his most creative period.N-COUNT: with supp
3. A particular length of time in history is sometimes called a period. For example,
you can talk about the Victorian period or the Elizabethan period in Britain.
...the Roman period...No reference to their existence appears in any literature of the period.N-COUNT: usu with supp
4. Period costumes, furniture, and instruments were made at an earlier time in history,
or look as if they were made then.
...dressed in full period costume.ADJ: ADJ n
5. Exercise, training, or study periods are lengths of time that are set aside for
exercise, training, or study.
They accompanied him during his exercise periods.N-COUNT: usu n N
6. At a school or college, a period is one of the parts that the day is divided into
during which lessons or other activities take place.
...periods of private study.N-COUNT
7. When a woman has a period, she bleeds from her womb. This usually happens once a
month, unless she is pregnant.
N-COUNT
8. Some people say period after stating a fact or opinion when they want to emphasize
that they are definite about something and do not want to discuss it further.
I don't want to do it, period.ADV: cl ADV [emphasis]
9. A period is the punctuation mark () which you use at the end of a sentence when it
is not a question or an exclamation. (AM; in BRIT, use full stop)
N-COUNT
period
ˈpɪərɪəd n. & adj. --n. 1 a length or portion of time (showers
and bright periods). 2 a distinct portion of history, a person's life,
etc. (the Georgian period; Picasso's Blue Period). 3 Geol. a time forming
part of a geological era (the Quaternary period). 4 a an interval between
recurrences of an astronomical or other phenomenon. b the time taken by a
planet to rotate about its axis. 5 the time allowed for a lesson in school. 6
an occurrence of menstruation. 7 a a complete sentence, esp. one consisting
of several clauses. b (in pl.) rhetorical language. 8 esp. US a = full stop
(see FULL(1)). b used at the end of a sentence etc. to indicate finality,
absoluteness, etc. (we want the best, period). 9 a a set of figures marked
off in a large number to assist in reading. b a set of figures repeated in
a recurring decimal. c the smallest interval over which a function takes the
same value. 10 Chem. a sequence of elements between two noble gases forming
a row in the periodic table. --adj. belonging to or characteristic of some
past period (period furniture). øof the period of the era under discussion
(the custom of the period). period piece an object or work whose main interest
lies in its historical etc. associations. [ME f. OF periode f. L periodus
f. Gk periodos (as PERI-, odos = hodos way)]
Period \Pe"ri*od\, n. [L. periodus, Gr. ? a going round, a way
round, a circumference, a period of time; ? round, about + ?
a way: cf. F. p['e]riode.]
1. A portion of time as limited and determined by some
recurring phenomenon, as by the completion of a revolution
of one of the heavenly bodies; a division of time, as a
series of years, months, or days, in which something is
completed, and ready to recommence and go on in the same
order; as, the period of the sun, or the earth, or a
comet.
2. Hence: A stated and recurring interval of time; more
generally, an interval of time specified or left
indefinite; a certain series of years, months, days, or
the like; a time; a cycle; an age; an epoch; as, the
period of the Roman republic.
How by art to make plants more lasting than their
ordinary period. --Bacon.
3. (Geol.) One of the great divisions of geological time; as,
the Tertiary period; the Glacial period. See the Chart of
Geology.
4. The termination or completion of a revolution, cycle,
series of events, single event, or act; hence, a limit; a
bound; an end; a conclusion. --Bacon.
So spake the archangel Michael; then paused, As at
the world's great period. --Milton.
Evils which shall never end till eternity hath a
period. --Jer. Taylor.
This is the period of my ambition. --Shak.
5. (Rhet.) A complete sentence, from one full stop to
another; esp., a well-proportioned, harmonious sentence.
``Devolved his rounded periods.'' --Tennyson.
Periods are beautiful when they are not too long.
--B. Johnson.
Note: The period, according to Heyse, is a compound sentence
consisting of a protasis and apodosis; according to
Becker, it is the appropriate form for the
co["o]rdinate propositions related by antithesis or
causality. --Gibbs.
6. (Print.) The punctuation point [.] that marks the end of a
complete sentence, or of an abbreviated word.
7. (Math.) One of several similar sets of figures or terms
usually marked by points or commas placed at regular
intervals, as in numeration, in the extraction of roots,
and in circulating decimals.
period
n.1. Circuit.
2. Cycle, circle of time, revolution of time, round of years.
3. Time, term, era, epoch, age, date.
4. Duration, continuance.
5. End, limit, bound, termination, conclusion, determination.
6.(Rhet.) Sentence (full or completed),
proposition, phrase, clause.
7.(Gram.) Dot, full stop.
period
ˈpɪərɪəd n.
1 interval, time, term, span, duration, spell, space, stretch; while; Colloq chiefly Brit
patch: During the period of his absence, his children had grown up. I waited a short period,
then phoned again. We went through a bad period last year.
2 era, days, epoch, aeon, age, years: During the Old English period, very little was
written down.
3 full stop: Place periods at the ends of sentences.
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