period
[noun]
Synonyms: time, interval, season, space, span, spell, stretch, term, while

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English Thesaurus: period, time, age, era, epoch, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. pe‧ri‧od¹ S1 W1 AC /ˈpɪəriəd $ ˈpɪr-/ noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: période, from Latin, from Greek, from peri- (PERICARDIUM) + hodos 'way']

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 Synonym : full stop British English

5. SCHOOL one of the equal parts that the school day is divided into Synonym : 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 Synonym : full stop!:
I’m not going, period!

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

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

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

period
noun
I. length of time
ADJ. extended, lengthy, long, prolonged | brief, limited, short The offer is only available for a limited period.
full You have been paid for the full period of your employment with us.
fixed, set The medication is prescribed for a fixed period of time.
indefinite | early, late the late Victorian period
happy a happy period in her life
dark, difficult, lean a dark period in the country's history
critical a critical period in the development of the project
interim, intervening | transitional | off-peak, peak | Christmas | medieval, Tudor, etc. | inter-war, post-war | accounting | cooling-off The customer has the right to cancel the contract during the seven-day cooling-off period.
formative The most formative period of life is childhood.
gestation, incubation | rest | training | waiting | trial You can use the software free for a 30-day trial period.
time
VERB + PERIOD cover the period covered by the book
PERIOD + VERB begin, commence | end | last
PERIOD + NOUN costume, furniture
PREP. after a ~ after a long period of waiting
during/throughout the ~ during the intervening period
for a ~ We lived in Caracas for a brief period.
in/within a/the ~ Sales have gone up in the last-five-year period.
over a/the ~ There will be a reduced bus service over the Christmas period. Changes were monitored over a period of two months.
within a/the ~ Committee members will not be eligible for re-election within a period of two years.
~ between the period between his resigning and finding a new job
~ from … to … the period from 1 July to 31 December
PHRASES the beginning/end/start of a period, a period of history, sb's period of office Public spending was cut during his period of office.
a period of study Try breaking your period of study into 20-minute blocks.
a period of time The balance must be paid within an agreed period of time.
a period of transition a period of transition between communist rule and democratic government

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

period
II. menstruation
ADJ. heavy, light | menstrual | monthly
VERB + PERIOD have I've got my period and don't feel too great.
start I was thirteen when I started my periods.
PERIOD + VERB start | stop | last
PERIOD + NOUN pains

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

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.
a period of time
Over a period of time, this pressure can damage the fibres of the carpet.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

period
noun
BAD: These traditions took a long period of time to evolve.
GOOD: These traditions took a long time to evolve.
BAD: She needs somewhere to live for a period of time.
GOOD: She needs somewhere to live for a while.

Usage Note:
a (long/short) time/while (WITHOUT period ): 'You can stay here for a while, if you like.' 'Learning a foreign language can take a very long time.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

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.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲