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period definition

pe·riod (pirē əd)

noun

  1. the interval between recurrent astronomical events, as between two full moons
  2. the interval between certain happenings a ten-year period of peace
  3. a portion of time, often indefinite, characterized by certain events, processes, conditions, etc.; stage a period of change, the present period
  4. any of the portions of time into which an event of fixed duration, as a game or a school day, is divided
  5. the full course, or one of the stages, of a disease
  6. an occurrence of menstruation; menses
  7. an end, completion, or conclusion, or a point of time marking this death put a period to his plans
  8. Geol. a subdivision of an era in geologic time corresponding to the rock strata of a system (sense )
  9. Gram., Rhetoric
    1. a sentence, esp. a balanced, well-constructed, complex sentence
    2. the natural pause in speaking used to indicate the end of a declarative sentence
    3. the mark of punctuation (.) used to indicate the end of a declarative sentence
    4. the dot (.) following many abbreviations
  10. Math. the interval from one repetition to the next of a recurrent or self-duplicating function
  11. Music a group of two or more related phrases ending with a cadence
  12. Physics the interval of time necessary for a regularly recurring motion to make a complete cycle
  13. Prosody a rhythm group of two or more cola in the Greek system

Etymology: ME paryode < MFr periode < L periodus < Gr periodos, a going around, cycle < peri-, around + hodos, way < IE base *sed-, to go > Sans ā-sad-, go toward

adjective

of or like that of an earlier period or age period furniture

interjection

Informal used to indicate that the preceding statement is the speaker's last, conclusive, word on the subject be home by midnight or you're grounded, period!

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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A period of human life126 years ago

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