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period
period
The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English
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2009
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© The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information)
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pe·ri·od
/ ˈpi(ə)rēəd/
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n.
1.
a length or portion of time:
he had long periods of depression
the ale will be available for a limited period
the period 1977–85.
∎
a portion of time in the life of a person, nation, or civilization characterized by the same prevalent features or conditions:
the early medieval period.
∎
one of the set divisions of the day in a school allocated to a lesson or other activity.
∎
a set period of time during which a particular activity takes place:
the training period is between 16 and 18 months.
∎
each of the intervals into which the playing time of a sporting event is divided.
∎
a major division of geological time that is a subdivision of an era and is itself subdivided into epochs, corresponding to a system in chronostratigraphy.
2.
a punctuation mark (.) used at the end of a sentence or an abbreviation.
∎ inf.
added to the end of a statement to indicate that no further discussion is possible or desirable:
he is the sole owner of the trademark, period.
3.
Physics
the interval of time between successive occurrences of the same state in an oscillatory or cyclic phenomenon, such as a mechanical vibration, an alternating current, a variable star, or an electromagnetic wave.
∎
Astron.
the time taken by a celestial object to rotate around its axis, or to make one circuit of its orbit.
∎
Math.
the interval between successive equal values of a periodic function.
4.
(also menstrual period)
a flow of blood and other material from the lining of the uterus, lasting for several days and occurring in sexually mature women (who are not pregnant) at intervals of about one lunar month until the onset of menopause.
5.
Chem.
a set of elements occupying an entire horizontal row in the periodic table.
6.
Rhetoric
a complex sentence, esp. one consisting of several clauses, constructed as part of a formal speech or oration.
∎
Mus.
a complete idea, typically consisting of two or four phrases.
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adj.
belonging to or characteristic of a past historical time, esp. in style or design:
a splendid selection of period furniture.
ORIGIN: late Middle English (denoting the time during which something, esp. a disease, runs its course): from Old French periode, via Latin from Greek periodos ‘orbit, recurrence, course,’ from peri- ‘around’ + hodos ‘way, course.’ The sense ‘portion of time’ dates from the early 17th cent.
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Why Bowing Went Out Of Fashion In The U.S.
Transcript from: NPR All Things Considered; 11/18/2009; ; 397 words
; ...superiors, and equals of higher social rank to bow to each other. The practice began raising hackles during the Revolutionary period when some considered it a vestige of a less democratic society. Thomas Jefferson liked to shake hands instead of bowing. Bowing...
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CHALLENGES AT THE FEDERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICE:RAND BEERS
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/18/2009; 700+ words
; ...provide such resources and infrastructurevery seriously; this framed our transition plan, guided us throughout thetransition period, and will continue to inform our decisions as we moveforward. GAO Audit Summary Since its transfer to DHS in 2003, the FPS...
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ABUSIVE OVERDRAFT FEES:FRANK POLLACK
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/17/2009; 700+ words
; ...the checking account fees associated with instances of insufficientfunds for up to two occurrences in any rolling three month period. Importantly,this program is separate and distinct from our overdraft line of creditand goes beyond the minimum requirements...
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LONG TERM DEFENSE BUDGET TRENDS:DAVID J. BERTEAU
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/18/2009; 700+ words
; ...key pointson those same facts. The Defense Budget Will Come Down Defense budgetsrun in cycles, with periods of increase followed by periods of decline.For years, defense analysts have been predicting that the defense budgetis coming down...
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FINANCIAL MARKET REGULATION:MARK K. BOLING
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/18/2009; 700+ words
; ...600%. Our ability to make over$6.5 billion of capital investments and create thousands of job opportunitiesduring this period was primarily due to our ability to generate a reliablecash flow from the sale of our natural gas production and to gain accessto...
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'The Onion': Mocking All Who Deserve It Since 1988
Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 11/20/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...the best. MONTAGNE: And then where do the headlines come from? That is, your Mr. GARDEN: The headlines come from long periods of desperation, boredom and a fleeting panic that we have to get our assignment done in time for the Monday meeting. Mr...
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GROWTH OF GLOBAL SPACE CAPABILITIES:MR. MARTY HAUSER
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/19/2009; 700+ words
; ...SPACE CAPABILITIES RAISE FOR CONGRESS AS IT ASSESSES THE FUTURE DIRECTIONAND FUNDING OF THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM? Congress must decide, along withthe administration, if America will continue to lead in space. Period.Earlier in my testimo
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TRANSPORTATION R&D:ALAN E. PISARSKI
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/19/2009; 700+ words
; ...countries and see that France and Germanysaw fatality declines by more than 60% -- about a two-thirds decline inthe same period. Had we declined at that rate our annual fatalities wouldbe on the order of 17,000 instead of above 40,000 in 2007. What...
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MOVING CLOSER TO A VICTORY FOR ALL AMERICANS
Transcript from: Regulatory Intelligence Data; 11/19/2009; ; 700+ words
; ...seniors?" Health insurance reform protects Medicare benefits and reduces costsfor seniors. Medicare benefits will not be cut. Period. In fact, seniorswill get benefits they do not have under the current system: a reductionin prescription drug prices if they...
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OFFSHORE ENERGY PRODUCTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT:WALTER CRUICKSHANK
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 11/19/2009; 700+ words
; ...must beincluded in an approved 5-Year Program. The process to develop a 5-Yearprogram includes three separate comment periods, two draft proposals, afinal proposal, and the development of an environmental impact statementthat informs the Secretary...
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Edom
Book article from: Encyclopaedia Judaica
...Josh. 15:1), and in an abbreviated manner as "south, toward the boundary of Edom" (Josh. 15:21). In later periods there was an Edomite expansion beyond Mount Seir, especially after the fall of the kingdom of Judah (see below). Ezekiel...
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Egypt
Book article from: Encyclopaedia Judaica
...history can be divided into seven periods that correspond to the major...prehistory) Early Dynastic Period (Archaic) – Dyn...x2013;2134 First Intermediate Period – Dyn. 9–...x2013;12 ("Classical" Period), 2040–1640 Second...
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SIC 3991 Brooms and Brushes
Encyclopedia entry from: Encyclopedia of American Industries
...Greenville, North Carolina, acquired six companies in that period and reported a 100 percent increase in sales. Two of the largest...percent tariff on imports, due to phase out over an 11-year period. Mexico, already the largest supplier of brooms, was expected...
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Hydrogen
Book article from: Alternative Energy
...Infrastructure The underlying foundation or basic framework of a system, such as buildings or equipment. Off-peak Describing periods of time when energy is being delivered at well below the maximum amount of demand, often nights. Following Cavendish's...
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Wind Energy
Book article from: Alternative Energy
...along the coasts of China during this period. The design of these seventh-century...electricity consumed over a one-hour period. Kinetic energy The energy contained...took place over a two-hundred-year period beginning in 1095, European conquerors...
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