period

period

I

pe‧ri‧od¹ S1 W1 AC /ˈpɪəriəd $ ˈpɪr-/ noun [countable]1.  LENGTH OF TIME a particular length of time with a beginning and an end:
    Tomorrow’s weather will be dry with sunny periods.
    period of
    His playing improved in a very short period of time.
    a brief period of silence
    The drug was tested over a five-week period.
    They adopted the system for a trial period (=time in which something is tested to see if it works well).
2.  LIFE/HISTORY a particular time in someone’s life or in history ⇨ era:
    the conflict of the Cold War period
    Van Gogh’s early period
    the Jurassic period
    the behaviour of children during the period of adolescence
3.  BLOOD the flow of blood that comes from a woman’s body each month ⇨ menstrual period:
    I was 12 years old when I started my periods.
4.  MARK American English the mark (.) used in writing to show the end of a sentence or of an abbreviation
   SYN  full stop British English
5.  SCHOOL one of the equal parts that the school day is divided into
   SYN  lesson British English:
    What class do you have first period?
    period of
    a double period of Science
6.  SPORTS one of the equal parts that a game is divided into in a sport such as ice hockey:
    The Bruins scored twice in the first period.
7.  FOR EMPHASIS period__ American English spoken used to emphasize that you have made a decision and that you do not want to discuss the subject any more
   SYN  full stop__:
    I’m not going, period__
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + period
   ▪ a long/lengthy period They had to spend long periods apart.
   ▪ a short/brief period He lived for a short period in Manchester.
   ▪ a limited period (=a fairly short length of time) From May, the site will be open to the public for a limited period.
   ▪ a fixed/set period (=that will not be changed) A tourist visa allows you to stay for a fixed period.
   ▪ an indefinite period (=with no fixed end) The painting had been loaned to the gallery for an indefinite period.
   ▪ a six month/five year etc period They studied the behaviour of the ocean during a five year period.
   ▪ a trial period (=a time in which you try something to see if it is good) We could introduce the system for a trial period.
■ phrases
   ▪ a period of time Over a period of time, this pressure can damage the fibres of the carpet.
     

THESAURUS

■ a period in history
   ▪ period a particular time in history, especially one studied as a subject: the late Victorian period | the interwar period | During that period many people moved from the countryside to the towns.
   ▪ time a period of years, months, days etc: The 1960s were a time of great social change. | the biggest earthquake in modern times | Verdun was an important city in Roman times.
   ▪ age a long period, especially one that represents a particular stage in the development of civilization or technology: the industrial age | We are now in the age of the Internet. | the Stone Age (=when people used tools made of stone)
   ▪ era a long period that has a particular character or that is marked by particular events: We live in an era of breathtaking change. | the post-war era | De Gaulle’s death marked the end of an era.
   ▪ epoch /ˈiːpɒk $ ˈepək/ formal means the same as era, but sounds more formal and important: We are now entering a new epoch in human history. | the colonial epoch | It was the end of an epoch.

II

period² adjective
period costume/furniture etc clothes, furniture etc in the style of a particular time in history:
    actors dressed in period costume