English Explanatory Dictionary

phase

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.
  2. That which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances of the same object.
  3. Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view.
  4. A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form, or the absence, of a body's illuminated disk. Illustrated in Wikipedia's article Lunar phase.
  5. Any one point or portion in a recurring series of changes, as in the changes of motion of one of the particles constituting a wave or vibration; one portion of a series of such changes, in distinction from a contrasted portion, as the portion on one side of a position of equilibrium, in contrast with that on the opposite side.
  6. A component in a material system that is distinguished by chemical composition and/or physical state (solid, liquid or gas) and/or crystal structure. It is delineated from an adjoining phase by an abrupt change in one or more of those conditions.
  7. In certain organisms, one of two or more colour variations characteristic of the species, but independent of the ordinary seasonal and sexual differences, and often also of age.
  8. The period of play between consecutive breakdowns.
  9. A haplotype.
  10. The counterclockwise angle from the positive half of the real number line to the vector pointing to a complex number on an Argand diagram of the complex plane, which has the positive real line pointing right and the positive imaginary number line pointing up.
  11. A distortion caused by a difference in the speed of propagation for different frequencies
  12. In a polyphase electrical power system, one of the power-carrying conductors, or the alternating current carried by it.
verb
  1. To begin—if construed with "in"—or to discontinue—if construed with out—(doing) something over a period of time (i.e. in phases).
  2. To determine haplotypes in (data) when genotypes are known.
  3. To pass into or through a solid object.
  4. To use a phaser.
verb
  1. Alternative spelling of faze
name
  1. Passover

Pronunciation

fāz /feɪz/ En-us-phase.ogg

Word forms

phase phases phasing phased

Etymology

From New Latin phasis, from Ancient Greek φάσις (phásis, “an appearance”), from φαίνω (phaínō, “to cause to appear”); compare phantasm and see face.

Synonyms

argument line conductor

Derived words

acrophase acute-phase protein antiphase aqueous phase bathyphase biophase biphase Chevrel phase continuous phase counterphase delayed sleep phase disorder dephase diphase disperse phase dyke phase ecophase eigenphase epiphase ferriphase FFLO phase follicular phase G1 phase G2 phase gaseous phase geophase gyrophase heterophase high-phase homophase hypophase idiophase in phase intermetallic phase interphase intraphase Laves phase liquid phase lunar phase luteal phase macrophase mesophase metaphase microphase misphase mobile phase monophase moonphase multiphase nanophase out of phase penalty phase phase angle phase contrast microscope phase contrast microscopy phase diagram phase down phase factor phase function phase inverter phaseless
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