period Definition

period
noun

1. A portion of time.
2. A phase or stage, eg in history, or in a person's life and development, etc.

Thesaurus: time, era, age, epoch, generation, cycle, stage, term, season.
3. An interval of time at the end of which events recur in the same order.
4a. geol.
A unit of geological time that is a subdivision of an era, and is itself divided into epochs;
4b. geol.
Any long interval of geological time.
Example: glacial period
5. Any of the sessions of equal length into which the school day is divided, and to which particular subjects or activities are assigned.
(especially N Amer)
6. A full stop.
7. colloq
Added to a statement to emphasize its finality.
Example: You may not go, period
8. The periodic discharge of blood during a woman's menstrual cycle.

Example: two weeks since her last period
Thesaurus: menstruation, menstrual flow, menses, the curse (slang).
9. chem.
In the periodic table: any of the seven horizontal rows of chemical elements.
10. physics.
The time interval after which a cyclical phenomenon, eg a wave motion, repeats itself; the reciprocal of the frequency.
11. arith.
The recurring part of a circulating decimal.

adj

1. Dating from, or designed in the style of, the historical period in question.

Example: period costume
Example: period furniture

Idiom: period of grace

A specific time allowed to both parties to a contract to fulfil any obligations arising from it, or to withdraw from it completely.

Etymology: 15c: from Greek periodos circuit or going round, from peri round + hodos way.