What does period mean?

Definitions for period
ˈpɪər i ədpe·ri·od

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word period.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. time period, period of time, periodnoun

    an amount of time

    "a time period of 30 years"; "hastened the period of time of his recovery"; "Picasso's blue period"

  2. periodnoun

    the interval taken to complete one cycle of a regularly repeating phenomenon

  3. periodnoun

    (ice hockey) one of three divisions into which play is divided in hockey games

  4. period, geological periodnoun

    a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks formed

    "ganoid fishes swarmed during the earlier geological periods"

  5. periodnoun

    the end or completion of something

    "death put a period to his endeavors"; "a change soon put a period to my tranquility"

  6. menstruation, menses, menstruum, catamenia, period, flownoun

    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

  7. period, point, full stop, stop, full pointnoun

    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"

GCIDE

  1. Periodnoun

    (Sports) One of the specified time intervals into which a game is divided; as, there are three periods in a hockey game.

  2. Periodnoun

    (Education) One of the specified time intervals into which the academic day is divided; as, my calculus class is in the first period.

  3. Periodnoun

    The time interval during which a woman is menstruating, or the event of a single menstruation; as, her period was late this month.

Wiktionary

  1. periodnoun

    The length of time for a disease to run its course.

  2. periodnoun

    An end or conclusion; the final point of a process etc.

  3. periodnoun

    A period of time in history seen as a single coherent entity; an epoch, era.

    Food rationing continued in the post-war period.

  4. periodnoun

    A complete sentence, especially one expressing a single thought or making a balanced, rhythmic whole.

  5. periodnoun

    The punctuation mark . (indicating the ending of a sentence or marking an abbreviation).

  6. periodnoun

    A length of time.

  7. periodnoun

    The length of time during which the same characteristics of a periodic phenomenon recur, such as the repetition of a wave or the rotation of a planet.

  8. periodnoun

    A specific moment during a given process; a point, a stage.

  9. periodnoun

    Female menstruation.

    When she is on her period she can be more disagreeable than usual

  10. periodnoun

    A section of an artist's, writer's (etc.) career distinguished by a given quality, preoccupation etc.

    This is one of the last paintings Picasso created during his Blue Period.

  11. periodnoun

    Each of the divisions into which a school day is split, allocated to a given subject or activity.

    I have math class in second period.

  12. periodnoun

    Each of the intervals into which various sporting events are divided.

    Gretzky scored in the last minute of the second period.

  13. periodnoun

    A row in the periodic table of the elements.

  14. periodnoun

    A Drosophila gene which gene product is involved in regulation of the circadian rhythm

  15. periodnoun

    two phrases (an antecedent and a consequent phrase)

  16. periodadjective

    Appropriate for a given historical era.

  17. periodinterjection

    And nothing else; and nothing less; used for emphasis.

    When I say "eat your dinner," it means "eat your dinner," period!

  18. Etymology: From periode, from periode, from periodus, from περίοδος, from περί- + ὁδός. Displaced native tide, from tid, elde, from ieldu.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. PERIODnoun

    Etymology: periode, Fr. πεϱίοδος.

    Tell these, that the sun is fixed in the centre, that the earth with all the planets roll round the sun in their several periods; they cannot admit a syllable of this new doctrine. Isaac Watts.

    A cycle or period is an account of years that has a beginning and end too, and then begins again as often as it ends. William Holder, on Time.

    We stile a lesser space a cycle, and a greater by the name of period; and you may not improperly call the beginning of a large period the epocha thereof. William Holder, on Time.

    If my death might make this island happy,
    And prove the period of their tyranny,
    I would expend it with all willingness;
    But mine is made the prologue to their play. William Shakespeare.

    There is nothing so secret that shall not be brought to light within the compass of our world; whatsoever concerns this sublunary world in the whole extent of its duration, from the chaos to the last period. Thomas Burnet, Theory of the Earth.

    What anxious moments pass between
    The birth of plots and their last fatal periods.
    Oh! ’tis a dreadful interval of time. Addison.

    Beauty’s empires, like to greater states,
    Have certain periods set, and hidden fates. John Suckling.

    Light-conserving stones must be set in the sun before they retain light, and the light will appear greater or lesser, until they come to their utmost period. Digby.

    Some experiment would be made how by art to make plants more lasting than their ordinary period; as to make a stalk of wheat last a whole year. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

    Periods are beautiful, when they are not too long: for so they have their strength too as in a pike or javelin. Ben Jonson.

    Is this the confidence you gave me,
    Lean on it safely, not a period
    Shall be unsaid for me. John Milton.

    Syllogism is made use of to discover a fallacy, cunningly wrapt up in a smooth period. John Locke.

    For the assistance of weak memories, the first words of every period in every page may be written in distinct colours. Isaac Watts, Improvement of the Mind.

    From the tongue
    Th’ unfinish’d period falls. James Thomson, Spring.

  2. To Periodverb

    To put an end to. A bad word.

    Etymology: from the noun.

    Your letter he desires
    To those have shut him up, which failing to him,
    Periods his comfort. William Shakespeare, Timon of Athens.

ChatGPT

  1. period

    A period refers to a length or cycle of time characterized by particular events, conditions, or recurring phenomena. It could also refer to the full cycle of repeated or recurring events, a round or series of occurrences, or the interval taken to complete one cycle of a regularly repeating phenomenon. Furthermore, the term 'period' can pertain to a punctuation mark (.) used at the end of a sentence or an abbreviation. Its interpretation varies depending on the context in which it's used; such as in history, music, education, mathematics, physics, etc.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Periodnoun

    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. Periodnoun

    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

  3. Periodnoun

    one of the great divisions of geological time; as, the Tertiary period; the Glacial period. See the Chart of Geology

  4. Periodnoun

    the termination or completion of a revolution, cycle, series of events, single event, or act; hence, a limit; a bound; an end; a conclusion

  5. Periodnoun

    a complete sentence, from one full stop to another; esp., a well-proportioned, harmonious sentence

  6. Periodnoun

    the punctuation point [.] that marks the end of a complete sentence, or of an abbreviated word

  7. Periodnoun

    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. Periodnoun

    the time of the exacerbation and remission of a disease, or of the paroxysm and intermission

  9. Periodnoun

    a complete musical sentence

  10. Periodverb

    to put an end to

  11. Periodverb

    to come to a period; to conclude. [Obs.] "You may period upon this, that," etc

  12. Etymology: [L. periodus, Gr. peri`odos a going round, a way round, a circumference, a period of time; peri` round, about + "odo`s a way: cf. F. priode.]

Wikidata

  1. Period

    A geologic period is a time unit subdivision of geologic time defined as a span of years into which the larger era time units are divided into smaller timeframes, as Era's divide the Eon. In the Earth Sciences rocks and especially the sequences of rocks called stratum arrayed in an ordered "rock column" occurring during a timespan are the focus of study so the time units are paired with corresponding Rock strata units whose characteristics define such points elsewhere that occurred concurrently as the local rock layers were laid down as sediments. For the Geological Period the paired rock strata term, a geologic stage is used to denote the corresponding rock layers of both the geologic record and the fossil record; thus the rocks of the Devonian System were laid down during the Devonian Period, and such equivalent units exist at each level of refinement of geological chronology and biogeological or stratigraphic classification. Each unit of strata, no matter how interrupted the record recorded in the local rock column, is mapped into the overall geologic record and classified carefully into chronological units of geologic time based on world wide efforts of the International Commission on Stratigraphy working to correlate the world's local stratigraphic record into one uniform planet wide benchmarked system, in a steady effort ongoing since 1974. While paleontologists often refer to faunal stages rather than geologic periods, they are often used in popular presentations of paleontology or plate reconstructions.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Period

    pē′ri-ud, n. the time in which anything is performed: (astron.) the time occupied by one of the heavenly bodies in making its revolution: a stated interval of time, at the end of which certain events begin again to go through the same course as before: a series of events: a series of years: length of duration: the time at which anything ends: conclusion: (gram.) a mark at the end of a sentence: (rhet.) a complete sentence.—v.t. (Shak.) to put an end to.—adjs. Period′ic, -al, pertaining to a period: happening by revolution: occurring at regular intervals: pertaining to periodicals.—ns. Period′ical, a magazine or other publication which appears in parts at regular periods; Period′icalist, one who writes in a periodical.—adv. Period′ically.—n. Periodic′ity, state of being periodic: tendency to happen over again at regular intervals of time.—Periodical literature, literature published in magazines, &c.; Periodic function, one whose operation being iterated a certain number of times restores the variable: a function having a period; Periodic inequality, a disturbance in the motion of a planet due to its position in its orbit relatively to another planet; Periodic law (chem.), a relation of elements according to their atomic weights. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. periodosperi, around, hodos, a way.]

The Standard Electrical Dictionary

  1. Period

    The time required for the completion of one complete element of periodic motion. This may be a complete alternation (See Alternation, Complete) of an alternating current, or of an oscillatory discharge.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

  1. period

    The time it takes for a satellite to complete one orbit around the earth.

Editors Contribution

  1. period

    A specific or known unit of time.

    The governmental period was for a 5yr period.


    Submitted by MaryC on February 20, 2020  

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'period' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #341

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'period' in Written Corpus Frequency: #746

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'period' in Nouns Frequency: #91

How to pronounce period?

How to say period in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of period in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of period in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of period in a Sentence

  1. George Steinbrenner:

    We have a person and manager in Aaron Boone who possesses the baseball acumen and widespread respect in our clubhouse to continue to guide us forward, as a team and as an organization, we must grow, evolve and improve. We need to get better. Period.

  2. Noman Mujtaba:

    That’s the environment, unfortunately, that you’re in, in Afghanistan, we’re not really sure exactly what the problems might be, once we get here. Noman Mujtaba’s fine for a period of time and then, unfortunately, Noman Mujtaba’s not. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS Noman Mujtaba and Noman Mujtaba wife decided to adopt Noman even though Lisa, an American, has never been to Afghanistan or met Noman, because Noman Mujtaba worried it was too dangerous for Lisa to visit the country. Since Noman Mujtaba first meeting with Noman, Noman Mujtaba, a professor at Nova Southeastern University, has visited Afghanistan 10 times and stayed three to five weeks at a time. Noman Mujtaba told AP Noman Mujtaba felt like the long adoption process was finally coming to a close and that Noman Mujtaba was going to be able to bring Noman home to Florida soon. Now, Noman Mujtaba’s not sure if or when Noman Mujtaba will happen.

  3. Ashley Givens:

    The two efforts are interrelated. First, if the Army goes to war tonight or any time in the next 10 years, Bradleys will still make up the majority of the force…so the Army must invest at some level in Bradley for some period of time until NGCV is ready to enter production, the NGCV must be significantly better than today’s Bradley, or it begs the question ‘why are we doing this?’.

  4. Deidre Herbst:

    If you told us today that you have to roll out FGD on a plant, it would take us at least 10 years to get to the point where we would be retrofitting the first unit, being able to execute all of those power stations at the same time would be a significant challenge. You would have to stagger the different power stations and it would probably take at least a 20-year period to finish all of them.

  5. Joshua Gaschk:

    Essentially, they’re trying to cover large distances to find more mates, and they’re doing so at the cost of their recuperation and resting period.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

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Translations for period

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"period." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/period>.

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