I. ˈsi(ˌ)rēz, ˈsē(-, -_riz noun
( plural series )
Etymology: Latin, from serere to join, bind together, entwine, link; akin to Greek eirein to fasten in rows, string together, hormos chain, necklace
1. : a group of usually three or more things or events standing or succeeding in order and having a like relationship to each other : a spatial or temporal succession of persons or things : a group that has or admits an order of arrangement exhibiting progression
a concert series
a TV series
a series of talks
a series of governors
a series of three European maps — National Geographic
2. : the expression obtained from a mathematical sequence by connecting its terms with plus signs
3.
a. : the coins or currency of a particular country and period, denomination, or ruler or for a particular purpose considered as a unit for study or collection
ancient Greek series
U.S. half-dollar series
a commemorative series
b. : a group of postage or semipostal stamps in different denominations and for different postal uses issued for a single commemorative or fund-raising purpose or having a common design theme
4.
a. : a number of volumes by the same author connected by similarity of subject, grouped usually under a collective title, and distinguished from his other works
b. : a number of volumes connected by similarity of subject and issued in succession by a single publisher usually with a collective title and in uniform style
c. : a number of successive parts or volumes of a periodical publication or of writings similar in character or by the same author numbered separately to distinguish them from other similar sequences
second series
d. : a number of volumes put out by a single publisher and similar in format and price
a dime-novel series
some so-called series are nothing more than miscellaneous collections of books published at the same price and in the same style — L.R.McColvin
5.
a. : a succession of sedimentary or igneous rocks either continuously deposited or related in the history of their accumulation
b. : a division of sedimentary formations that are usually larger than a stage and smaller than a system and are deposited during an epoch
the Niagara series
the salt series of the Permian basin — H.I.Smith
6.
a. : a group of specimens or types progressively differing from each other in some morphological or physiological attribute
a series of fossils
a series of plants
a series of antitoxins
b. : a category of classification to which various taxonomic ranks have been assigned by different authors
7.
a. : a group of chemical compounds related in composition and structure
a homologous series
b. : a sequence of chemical elements of increasing atomic numbers (as a period or part of a period in the periodic table)
c. : radioactive series
8. : an arrangement of the parts of or elements in an electric circuit whereby the whole current passes through each part or element without dividing or branching — contrasted with parallel
9. : a set of vowels connected by ablaut (as i, a, u in ring, rang, rung ) — compare grade 4
10. : a range of printing types of the same name and face but in different sizes
Caslon Old Style series
Caslon Old Style italic series
— compare family
11.
a. : a number of baseball games (as 3 or 4) played on successive days between two league teams
b. : world series
12. : a group of successive coordinate sentence elements joined together in one or another degree of distinctness represented by separation by commas, separation by commas and connection by and 's or or 's, separation by commas and connection by and or or between the last two members, or connection by and 's or or 's
an a, b, and c series
13. : a rhythmic sequence ordered by continuous repetition of a rhythmic or metrical unit without further organization of the sequence as a whole into some pattern or system based not upon continuous repetition alone but upon other relations and correspondences of elements — compare system , strophe
14. : soil series
15. : three consecutive games in bowling
16. : a classificatory grouping of pottery by similarity of some feature (as shape or design)
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- in series
II. adjective
: of or relating to a series ; specifically : having its parts arranged or connected in series
a series circuit
: being in series with other units : series-wound
series motor