period definition | Dictionary.com

pe⋅ri⋅od

[peer-ee-uh

–noun

1.	a rather large interval of time that is meaningful in the life of a person, in history, etc., because of its particular characteristics: a period of illness; a period of great profitability for a company; a period of social unrest in Germany.

2.	any specified division or portion of time: poetry of the period from 1603 to 1660.

3.	a round of time or series of years by which time is measured.

4.	a round of time marked by the recurrence of some phenomenon or occupied by some recurring process or action.

5.	the point of completion of a round of time or of the time during which something lasts or happens.

6.	Education. a specific length of time during school hours that a student spends in a classroom, laboratory, etc., or has free.

7.	any of the parts of equal length into which a game is divided.

8.	the time during which something runs its course.

9.	the present time.

10.	the point or character (.) used to mark the end of a declarative sentence, indicate an abbreviation, etc.; full stop.

11.	a full pause, as is made at the end of a complete sentence; full stop.

12.	a sentence, esp. a well-balanced, impressive sentence: the stately periods of Churchill.

13.	a periodic sentence.

14.	an occurrence of menstruation.

15.	a time of the month during which menstruation occurs.

16.	Geology. the basic unit of geologic time, during which a standard rock system is formed: comprising two or more epochs and included with other periods in an era.

17.	Physics. the duration of one complete cycle of a wave or oscillation; the reciprocal of the frequency.

18.	Music. a division of a composition, usually a passage of eight or sixteen measures, complete or satisfactory in itself, commonly consisting of two or more contrasted or complementary phrases ending with a conclusive cadence.

19.

Astronomy.

a.	Also called period of rotation. the time in which a body rotates once on its axis.

b.	Also called period of revolution. the time in which a planet or satellite revolves once about its primary.

20.	Mathematics. See under periodic (def. 5).

21.	Classical Prosody. a group of two or more cola.

–adjective

22.	noting, pertaining to, evocative of, imitating, or representing a historical period or the styles current during a specific period of history: period costumes; a period play.

–interjection

23.	(used by a speaker or writer to indicate that a decision is irrevocable or that a point is no longer discussable): I forbid you to go, period.

Origin:
1375–1425; late ME periode (< MF) < ML periodus, L < Gk períodos circuit, period of time, period in rhetoric, lit., way around. See peri-, -ode ²

Synonyms:
1. See age. 2. term.

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pe⋅ri⋅od⋅ic

1 [peer-ee-od-ik]

–adjective

1.	recurring at intervals of time: periodic revivals of an interest in handicrafts.

2.	occurring or appearing at regular intervals: periodic visits of a mail steamer to an island.

3.	repeated at irregular intervals; intermittent: periodic outbreaks of the disease.

4.	Physics. recurring at equal intervals of time.

5.	Mathematics. (of a function) having a graph that repeats after a fixed interval (period) of the independent variable.

Astronomy.

a.	characterized by a series of successive circuits or revolutions, as the motion of a planet or satellite.

b.	of or pertaining to a period, as of the revolution of a heavenly body.

7.	pertaining to or characterized by rhetorical periods, or periodic sentences.

Origin:
1635–45; < L periodicus < Gk periodikós. See period, -ic

Related forms:

pe⋅ri⋅od⋅i⋅cal⋅ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To period

pe·ri·od (pîr'ē-əd)

An interval of time characterized by the occurrence of a certain condition, event, or phenomenon: a period of economic prosperity.
An interval of time characterized by the prevalence of a specified culture, ideology, or technology: artifacts of the pre-Columbian period.
An interval regarded as a distinct evolutionary or developmental phase: Picasso's early career is divided into his blue period and rose period.
Geology A unit of time, longer than an epoch and shorter than an era.
Any of various arbitrary units of time, especially:
1. Any of the divisions of the academic day.
2. Sports & Games A division of the playing time of a game.
3. A metrical unit of quantitative verse consisting of two or more cola.
4. An analogous unit or division of classical Greek or Latin prose.
5. The least interval in the range of the independent variable of a periodic function of a real variable in which all possible values of the dependent variable are assumed.
6. A group of digits separated by commas in a written number.
7. The number of digits that repeat in a repeating decimal. For example, ¹/₇ = 0.142857142857 . . . has a six-digit period.
Physics & Astronomy The time interval between two successive occurrences of a recurrent event or phases of an event; a cycle: the period of a satellite's orbit.
An instance or occurrence of menstruation.
A point or portion of time at which something is ended; a completion or conclusion.
The full pause at the end of a spoken sentence.
A punctuation mark ( . ) indicating a full stop, placed at the end of declarative sentences and other statements thought to be complete, and after many abbreviations.
A sentence of several carefully balanced clauses in formal writing.
1. A metrical unit of quantitative verse consisting of two or more cola.
2. An analogous unit or division of classical Greek or Latin prose.
3. The least interval in the range of the independent variable of a periodic function of a real variable in which all possible values of the dependent variable are assumed.
4. A group of digits separated by commas in a written number.
5. The number of digits that repeat in a repeating decimal. For example, ¹/₇ = 0.142857142857 . . . has a six-digit period.
Music A group of two or more phrases within a composition, often made up of 8 or 16 measures and terminating with a cadence.
Mathematics
1. The least interval in the range of the independent variable of a periodic function of a real variable in which all possible values of the dependent variable are assumed.
2. A group of digits separated by commas in a written number.
3. The number of digits that repeat in a repeating decimal. For example, ¹/₇ = 0.142857142857 . . . has a six-digit period.
Chemistry A sequence of elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number and forming one of the horizontal rows in the periodic table.

adj. Of, belonging to, or representing a certain historical age or time: a period piece; period furniture.
interj. Used to emphasize finality, as when expressing a decision or an opinion: You're not going to the movies tonight, period!

[Middle English periode, from Old French, from Medieval Latin periodus, from Latin perihodos, rhetorical period, from Greek periodos, circuit : peri-, peri- + hodos, way.]

Synonyms: These nouns refer to a portion or length of time. Period is the most general: a short waiting period; a difficult period of my life; the Romantic period in music.
Epoch refers to a period regarded as being remarkable or memorable: "We enter on an epoch of constitutional retrogression" (John R. Green).
An era is a period of time notable because of new or different aspects or events: "How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book" (Henry David Thoreau).
An age is usually a period marked by a distinctive characteristic: the age of Newton; the Iron Age.
A term is a period of time to which limits have been set: Senators are elected for a term of six years.

Word History: Many may have wondered why the word period has the sense "punctuation mark ( . )" as well as several senses having to do with time. The answer to this question lies in one of the senses of the Greek word periodos from which our word is descended. Periodos, made up of peri-, "around," and hodos, "way," in addition to meaning such things as "going around, way around, going around in a circle, circuit," and with regard to time, "cycle or period of time," referred in rhetoric to "a group of words organically related in grammar and sense." The Greek word was adopted into Latin as perihodos, which in the Medieval Latin period acquired a new sense related to its use in rhetoric, "a punctuation mark used at the end of a rhetorical period." This sense is not recorded in English until 1609, but the word had already entered English as a borrowing from Old French in the sense "a cycle of recurrence of a disease," first being recorded in a work written around 1425.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

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.

8. (Med.) The time of the exacerbation and remission of a disease, or of the paroxysm and intermission.

9. (Mus.) A complete musical sentence.

The period, the present or current time, as distinguished from all other times.

Syn: Time; date; epoch; era; age; duration; limit; bound; end; conclusion; determination.

Period

Pe"ri*od\, v. t. To put an end to. [Obs.] --Shak.

Period

Pe"ri*od\, v. i. To come to a period; to conclude. [Obs.] "You may period upon this, that," etc. --Felthman.

Language Translation for : period

Spanish: período,

German: die Zeitspanne,

Japanese: 期間

More Translations »

period

A punctuation mark (.) that ends a declarative sentence. A period is also used in abbreviations such as Mr. and Dr.

period

1413, "course or extent of time," from M.L. periodus "recurring portion, cycle," from L. periodus "a complete sentence," also "cycle of the Greek games," from Gk. periodos "rounded sentence, cycle, circuit, period of time," lit. "going around," from peri- "around" + hodos "a going, way, journey" (see cede). Sense of "repeated cycle of events" led to that of "interval of time." Meaning "dot marking end of a sentence" first recorded 1609, from similar use in M.L. Sense of "menstruation" dates from 1822. Educational sense of "portion of time set apart for a lesson" is from 1876. Sporting sense attested from 1898.

Main Entry: pe·ri·od
Pronunciation: 'pir-E-&d
Function: noun
1 a : a portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon b : a single cyclic occurrence of menstruation
2 : a chronological division period of incubation of a disease>

period pe·ri·od (pĭr'ē-əd)
n.

An interval of time characterized by the occurrence of a certain condition, event, or phenomenon.
One of the stages of a disease.
A menstrual period.
A sequence of elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number.

period (pĭr'ē-əd) Pronunciation Key

A division of geologic time that is longer than an epoch and shorter than an era.
The duration of one cycle of a regularly recurring action or event. See also cycle , frequency.
An occurrence of menstruation.
In the Periodic Table, any of the seven horizontal rows that contain elements arranged in order of increasing atomic number. All the elements in a particular period have the same number of electron shells in their atoms, equal to the number of the period. Thus, atoms of nickel, copper, and zinc, in period four, each have four electron shells. See Periodic Table.

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