Etimology
From Middle English periode, from Middle French periode, from Medieval Latin periodus, from Ancient Greek περίοδος (períodos, “circuit, an interval of time, path around”), from περί- (perí-, “around”) + ὁδός (hodós, “way”). Displaced native Middle English tide (“interval, period, season”), from Old English tīd (“time, period, season”), as well as Middle English elde (“age, period”), from Old English ieldu (“age, period of time”).
noun
period (plural periods)
A length of time. [from 17th c.]
A length of time in history seen as a single coherent entity; an epoch, era. [from 16th c.]
(now chiefly Canada, US, Philippines) The punctuation mark “.” (indicating the ending of a sentence or marking an abbreviation).
(figurative) A decisive end to something; a stop.
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. [from 17th c.]
(euphemistic) Female menstruation; an episode of this. [from 18th c.]
A section of an artist's, writer's (etc.) career distinguished by a given quality, preoccupation etc. [from 19th c.]
Each of the divisions into which a school day is split, allocated to a given subject or activity. [from 19th c.]
(sports, chiefly ice hockey) Each of the intervals, typically three, of which a game is divided. [from 19th c.]
(sports, chiefly ice hockey) One or more additional intervals to decide a tied game, an overtime period.
(obsolete, medicine) The length of time for a disease to run its course. [15th–19th c.]
(archaic) An end or conclusion; the final point of a process, a state, an event, etc. [from 16th c.]
(rhetoric) A complete sentence, especially one expressing a single thought or making a balanced, rhythmic whole. [from 16th c.]
(obsolete) A specific moment during a given process; a point, a stage. [17th–19th c.]
(chemistry) A row in the periodic table of the elements. [from 19th c.]
(geology) A geochronologic unit of millions to tens of millions of years; a subdivision of an era, and subdivided into epochs.
(genetics) A Drosophila gene, the gene product of which is involved in regulation of the circadian rhythm.
(music) Two phrases (an antecedent and a consequent phrase).
(mathematics) The length of an interval over which a periodic function, periodic sequence or repeating decimal repeats; often the least such length.
Examples
There was a period of confusion following the announcement.
You'll be on probation for a six-month period.
Philip Miles, defending, said: "This was a single instance, there was no allegation of continuing behaviour over a long period of time."
Food rationing continued in the post-war period.
With some of it on the south and more of it on the north of the great main thoroughfare that connects Aldgate and the East India Docks, St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London.
‘You know, a period? The black spot at the end of a sentence — what do you call them over there?’
My sufferings, physical and mental, are more than I can bear, and when such small arrangements as I have to make for your future well-being are completed it is my intention to put a period to them.
When she is on her period, she prefers not to go swimming.
This is one of the last paintings Picasso created during his Blue Period.
I have math class in second period.
Gretzky scored in the last minute of the second period.
They won in the first overtime period.
As thus all gazed on hir, so she glaunced hir lookes on all, surueying them as curiously, as they noted hir exactly, but at last she set downe her period on the face of Alexis […]
And if my death might make this island happy,And prove the period of their tyranny,I would expend it with all willingness:
Why now let me die, for I haue liu'd long enough : This is the period of my ambition : O this bleſſed houre.
All comes to one period, whether man make an end of himſelfe, or whether he endure-it […].
When Loue thus in his Center ends,Desire and Hope, his inward friendsAre shaken off: while Doubt and Griefe,The weakest giuers of reliefe,Stand in his councell as the chiefe:And now he to his period brought,From Loue becomes some other thought.
Set up an hour-glasse; hee’l go on untillThe last sand make his Period.
[…] and yet this is but the ἀρχή ὠδίνων, the Beginning of those evils which shall never End till eternity hath a period […]
So ſpake th’ Archangel Michael, then paus’d, / As at the Worlds great period ; and our Sire / Replete with joy and wonder thus repli’d.
Periods are beautiful when they are not too long.
that such iron moulds as these shall have autority to knaw out the choicest periods of exquisitest books, and to commit such a treacherous fraud against the orphan remainders of worthiest men after death, the more sorrow will belong to that haples race of men, whose misfortune it is to have understanding.
In declamatory periods Dr Fordyce spins out Rousseau's eloquence […]
A very superior gentleman, Mr. Kenge. Truly eloquent indeed. Some of his periods quite majestic!
He writhed for twenty minutes under the flowery and eulogistic periods of the president, and rose himself in the state of confused indignation which the Briton feels when he is publicly approved.
The Death of Patroclus was the most eminent Period; and consequently the most proper Time for such Games.
These fossils are from the Jurassic period.
Polyclonal antibodies were prepared against the period gene product, which influences biological rhythms in D. melanogaster, by using small synthetic peptides from the per sequence as immunogens.
Related words
synonyms
(punctuation mark “.”): point; full stop (UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa); dot (computing, abbreviations); full-point, plain point (obsolete)
(menstrual period): see also Thesaurus:menstruation.
See also Thesaurus:period
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "length of time of recurrence of a periodic phenomenon"): frequency
related terms
periodic
periodicity
periodicize
adjective
period (not comparable)
Designating anything from a given historical era. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Evoking, or appropriate for, a particular historical period, especially through the use of elaborate costumes and scenery.
Examples
a period car
a period TV commercial
a period piece
As the guests arrived — there were about a hundred, a majority in period attire — I began to feel out of place in my beige summer suit, white shirt, and red necktie. Then I got over it. I certainly didn't suffer from Confederate-uniform envy.
interjection
period
(chiefly Canada, US) That's final; that's the end of the matter (analogous to a period ending a sentence); end of story.
Examples
I know you don't want to go to the dentist, but your teeth need to be checked, period!
Related words
synonyms
(that's final): full stop; that's that; end of discussion
verb
period (third-person singular simple present periods, present participle perioding, simple past and past participle perioded)
(obsolete, intransitive) To come to a period; to conclude.
(obsolete, transitive, rare) To put an end to.
(colloquial) To menstruate; to excrete menstrual blood.
Examples
For you may period upon this, that where there is the most pity for others, there is the greatest misery in the party pitied.