serial

Serial describes something that forms a series or is produced in multiple parts.

(adjective)

An example of a serial book is The Magician's Nephew as part of the series Chronicles of Narnia.
An example of a serial crime is someone repeatedly robbing five banks in the same way within a year.

The definition of a serial is something written or performed in parts.

(noun)

An example of a serial is the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

See serial in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

of, arranged in, or forming a series: serial numbers
appearing, published, issued, etc. in a series or succession of continuous parts at regular intervals
of a serial or serials: serial rights to a novel
committing an act, usually a criminal act, repeatedly and, typically, compulsively: a serial murderer
Comput.
1. of or for the transmission of a byte of data one bit at a time, over a single wire: a serial port
2. having to do with the performing of multiple operations one after the other: serial processing
Music
1. designating or of a technique of composition in which various components of music, as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, etc., are arranged in an arbitrary order (a row or set) which serves as a basis for development
2. loosely twelve-tone

Origin: ModL serialis < L series, a row, order, series

noun

1. a novel, story, film, etc. published or presented in serial form
2. any of the separate parts or episodes
a periodical publication

Related Forms:

See serial in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Of, forming, or arranged in a series.
a. Published or produced in installments, as a novel or television drama.
b. Relating to such publication or production.
Responsible for a series of usually criminal acts over a period of time: a serial arsonist.
Music Relating to or based on a row of tones, especially the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale.
Computer Science
a. Of or relating to the sequential transmission of all the bits of a byte over one wire: a serial port; a serial printer.
b. Of or relating to the sequential performance of multiple operations: serial processing.