Adjacent Words

Series definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SE'RIES, n. [L. this word probably belongs to the Shemetic, the primary sense of which is to stretch or strain.]
1. A continued succession in the things of the same order, and bearing the same relation to each other; as a series of kings; a series of successors.
2. Sequence; order; course; succession of things; as a series of calamitous events.
3. In natural history, an order or subdivision of some class of natural bodies.
4. In arithmetic and algebra, a number of terms in succession, increasing or diminishing in a certain ratio; as arithmetical series and geometrical series. [See Progression.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: similar things placed in order or happening one after another; "they were investigating a series of bank robberies"
2: a serialized set of programs; "a comedy series"; "the Masterworks concert series" [syn: serial, series]
3: a periodical that appears at scheduled times [syn: series, serial, serial publication]
4: (sports) several contests played successively by the same teams; "the visiting team swept the series"
5: (electronics) connection of components in such a manner that current flows first through one and then through the other; "the voltage divider consisted of a series of fixed resistors"
6: a group of postage stamps having a common theme or a group of coins or currency selected as a group for study or collection; "the Post Office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers"; "his coin collection included the complete series of Indian-head pennies"
7: (mathematics) the sum of a finite or infinite sequence of expressions

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural series) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Latin, from serere to join, link together; akin to Greek eirein to string together, hormos chain, necklace, and perhaps to Latin sort-, sors lot Date: 1611 1. a. a number of things or events of the same class coming one after another in spatial or temporal succession <a concert series> <the hall opened into a series of small rooms> b. a set of regularly presented television programs each of which is complete in itself 2. the indicated sum of a usually infinite sequence of numbers 3. a. the coins or currency of a particular country and period b. a group of postage stamps in different denominations 4. a succession of volumes or issues published with related subjects or authors, similar format and price, or continuous numbering 5. a division of rock formations that is smaller than a system and comprises rocks deposited during an epoch 6. a group of chemical compounds related in composition and structure 7. an arrangement of the parts of or elements in an electric circuit whereby the whole current passes through each part or element without branching — compare parallel 8. a set of vowels connected by ablaut (as i, a, u in ring, rang, rung) 9. a number of games (as of baseball) played usually on consecutive days between two teams <in town for a 3-game series> 10. a group of successive coordinate sentence elements joined together 11. soil series 12. three consecutive games in bowling

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. same) 1 a number of things of which each is similar to the preceding or in which each successive pair are similarly related; a sequence, succession, order, row, or set. 2 a set of successive games between the same teams. 3 a set of programmes with the same actors etc. or on related subjects but each complete in itself. 4 a set of lectures by the same speaker or on the same subject. 5 a a set of successive issues of a periodical, of articles on one subject or by one writer, etc., esp. when numbered separately from a preceding or following set (second series). b a set of independent books in a common format or under a common title or supervised by a common general editor. 6 Philately a set of stamps, coins, etc., of different denominations but issued at one time, in one reign, etc. 7 Geol. a a set of strata with a common characteristic. b the rocks deposited during a specific epoch. 8 Mus. an arrangement of the twelve notes of the chromatic scale as a basis for serial music. 9 Electr. a a set of circuits or components arranged so that the current passes through each successively. b a set of batteries etc. having the positive electrode of each connected with the negative electrode of the next. 10 Chem. a set of elements with common properties or of compounds related in composition or structure. 11 Math. a set of quantities constituting a progression or having the several values determined by a common relation. Phrases and idioms: arithmetical (or geometrical) series a series in arithmetical (or geometrical) progression. in series 1 in ordered succession. 2 Electr. (of a set of circuits or components) arranged so that the current passes through each successively. Etymology: L, = row, chain f. serere join, connect

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Series Se"ries, n. [L. series, fr. serere, sertum, to join or bind together; cf. Gr. ??? to fasten, Skr. sarit thread. Cf. Assert, Desert a solitude, Exert, Insert, Seraglio.] 1. A number of things or events standing or succeeding in order, and connected by a like relation; sequence; order; course; a succession of things; as, a continuous series of calamitous events. During some years his life a series of triumphs. --Macaulay. 2. (Biol.) Any comprehensive group of animals or plants including several subordinate related groups. Note: Sometimes a series includes several classes; sometimes only orders or families; in other cases only species. 3. (Math.) An indefinite number of terms succeeding one another, each of which is derived from one or more of the preceding by a fixed law, called the law of the series; as, an arithmetical series; a geometrical series.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Series Se"ries, n. 1. (Bot.) In Engler's system of plant classification, a group of families showing certain structural or morphological relationships. It corresponds to the cohort of some writers, and to the order of many modern systematists. 2. (Elec.) A mode of arranging the separate parts of a circuit by connecting them successively end to end to form a single path for the current; -- opposed to parallel. The parts so arranged are said to be in series. 3. (Com.) A parcel of rough diamonds of assorted qualities.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(series) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A series of things or events is a number of them that come one after the other. ...a series of meetings with students and political leaders. ...a series of explosions. = succession N-COUNT: usu sing: oft N of n 2. A radio or television series is a set of programmes of a particular kind which have the same title. ...the TV series 'The Trials of Life' presented by David Attenborough. N-COUNT: usu sing

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Succession, order, sequence, course, line, concatenation.

Moby Thesaurus

Indian file, alternation, array, arsis, articulation, back number, bank, battery, beat, biotype, block, bout, branch, buzz, category, catena, catenation, chain, chain reaction, chaining, chasing, circle, circuit, class, collection, column, coming after, concatenation, connection, consecution, consecutiveness, continuance, continuation, continuity, continuum, copy, course, cycle, descent, diastole, dogging, downbeat, drone, edition, endless belt, endless round, extension, family, file, filiation, following, gamut, genotype, genus, geometrical progression, gradation, group, heeling, hounding, hum, impression, issue, kingdom, kit, library, library edition, line, lineage, logical sequence, monotone, nexus, number, order, order of succession, outfit, pack, pendulum, periodicity, phylum, plenum, posteriority, postposition, powder train, printing, procession, progression, prolongation, pulse, pursual, pursuance, pursuit, queue, range, rank, recurrence, reticulation, revolution, rotation, round, routine, row, run, scale, school edition, section, sequel, sequence, set, shadowing, single file, species, spectrum, spell, string, subclass, subfamily, subgenus, subjunction, subkingdom, suborder, subspecies, subtribe, succession, successiveness, suffixation, suit, suite, superclass, superfamily, superorder, superspecies, swath, systole, tailing, thesis, thread, tier, trade book, trade edition, trailing, train, tribe, turn, upbeat, variety, volume, wheel, windrow