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)]
