a shelf attached to a microscope for holding the object to be viewed
a period, level, or degree in a process of development, growth, or change: the larval stage of an insect
any of two or more propulsion units used, in sequence, as the launch vehicle of a missile, spacecraft, etc.: when no longer operational or useful, the lower stages usually separate and fall back to earth
Electronics a component, circuit, etc. that does one specific job, as amplification, while being a part of a larger, more complex system
Geol. a subdivision of a series of stratified rocks consisting of the rocks laid down during a geologic age