period
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Related to isometric period: isometric contraction period
period
The period (also known as a full stop, especially in British English) is a punctuation mark ( . ) primarily used to indicate the end of a sentence. It appears as a single dot on the bottom line of the text, and it comes immediately after the last word of the sentence without a space.
period,
unit of time on the geologic timescalegeologic timescale,a chronological scale of earth's history used to measure the relative or absolute age of any part of geologic time. Of the numerous timescales, the most common is based on geologic time units, which divide time into eras, periods, and epochs.
..... Click the link for more information. . Periods are shorter than an era and longer than an epoch. Periods are of variable length, generally lasting tens of millions of years, with characteristic fossils found preserved in the sediments deposited during the period. It is also used to designate a characteristic of geologic time, such as the glacial period.
period:
see punctuationpunctuation[Lat.,=point], the use of special signs in writing to clarify how words are used; the term also refers to the signs themselves. In every language, besides the sounds of the words that are strung together there are other features, such as tone, accent, and pauses,
..... Click the link for more information. .
period,
in physics: see harmonic motionharmonic motion,regular vibration in which the acceleration of the vibrating object is directly proportional to the displacement of the object from its equilibrium position but oppositely directed.
..... Click the link for more information. ; wavewave,
in physics, the transfer of energy by the regular vibration, or oscillatory motion, either of some material medium or by the variation in magnitude of the field vectors of an electromagnetic field (see electromagnetic radiation).
..... Click the link for more information. .
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period
The time interval between two successive and similar phases of a regularly occurring event. The period of rotation or of revolution of a planet, etc., is the time to complete one rotation on its axis or one revolution around its primary. The period of a binary star is the time observed for the companion to orbit the primary. The period of a regular intrinsic variable star or an eclipsing binary is the time between two successive maxima or minima on the light curve.Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Period
in music, a structural unit that expresses a complete or relatively complete musical idea. Usually, a period consists of two parts (phrases), each made up of four or eight measures that differ in their cadences (a half cadence in the first phrase and a perfect cadence in the second).
Period
(postroenie), in music, a term that is applicable to any section of a musical form that is structurally distinct from adjacent sections. Usually the term is applied to sections intervening between the main elements of a musical form—for example, sections larger than a phrase but smaller than a sentence. Often, a period is designated by the number of measures it includes (two-measure, four-measure and seven-measure periods, for example). The point of demarcation, or boundary between periods, is called a caesura. Usually the larger the periods, the more important is the caesura dividing them.
Period
a punctuation mark that indicates the end of a declarative sentence. When used in such abbreviations as “i.e., ” the period is not a punctuation mark.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
period
[′pir·ē·əd] (astronomy)
The average time interval for a variable star to complete a cycle of its variations.
(chemistry)
A family of elements with consecutive atomic numbers in the periodic table and with closely related properties; for example, chromium through copper.
(geology)
A unit of geologic time constituting a subdivision of an era; the fundamental unit of the standard geologic time scale.
(mathematics)
A number T such that ƒ(x + T) = ƒ(x) for all x, where ƒ(x) is a specified function of a real or complex variable.
The period of an element a of a group G is the smallest positive integer n such that a n is the identity element; if there is no such integer, a is said to be of infinite period.
(nucleonics)
The time required for exponentially rising or falling neutron flux in a nuclear reactor to change by a factor of e (2.71828).
(physics)
The duration of a single repetition of a cyclic phenomenon.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
period
1. a nontechnical name for an occurrence of menstruation
2. Geology a unit of geological time during which a system of rocks is formed
3. a division of time, esp of the academic day
4. Physics Maths
a. the time taken to complete one cycle of a regularly recurring phenomenon; the reciprocal of frequency.
b. an interval in which the values of a periodic function follow a certain pattern that is duplicated over successive intervals
5. Astronomy
a. the time required by a body to make one complete rotation on its axis
b. the time interval between two successive maxima or minima of light variation of a variable star
6. Chem one of the horizontal rows of elements in the periodic table. Each period starts with an alkali metal and ends with a rare gas
7. a complete sentence, esp a complex one with several clauses
8. Music a passage or division of a piece of music, usually consisting of two or more contrasting or complementary musical phrases and ending on a cadence
9. (in classical prosody) a unit consisting of two or more cola
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005