PERIOD

I. noun Etymology: Middle English ~e, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin, Latin, & Greek; Medieval Latin ~us ~ of time, punctuation mark, from Latin & Greek; Latin, rhetorical ~, from Greek ~os circuit, ~ of time, rhetorical ~, from peri- + hodos way Date: circa 1530 the completion of a cycle, a series of events, or a single action ; conclusion , 2. a. an utterance from one full stop to another ; sentence , a well-proportioned sentence of several clauses, ~ic sentence , a musical structure or melodic section usually composed of two or more contrasting or complementary phrases and ending with a cadence, 3. the full pause with which the utterance of a sentence closes, end , stop , goal , purpose , 5. a. a point . used to mark the end (as of a declarative sentence or an abbreviation), (2) — used interjectionally to emphasize the finality of the preceding statement a rhythmical unit in Greek verse composed of a series of two or more cola, 6. a portion of time determined by some recurring phenomenon, b. the interval of time required for a cyclic motion or phenomenon to complete a cycle and begin to repeat itself, a number k that does not change the value of a ~ic function f when added to the independent variable, a single cyclic occurrence of menstruation, 7. a chronological division ; stage , a division of geologic time longer than an epoch and included in an era, a stage of culture having a definable place in time and space, 8. one of the divisions of the academic day, one of the divisions of the playing time of a game, Synonyms: see: ~ II. adjective Date: 1905 of, relating to, or representing a particular historical ~