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period incubation period

Main Entry: pe·ri·od
Pronunciation: pir--d
Function: noun
1 : the completion of a cycle, a series of events, or an action
2 : a point . used to mark the end (as of a declarative sentence or an abbreviation)
3 a : a portion of time marked by some repeating event b : the length of time required for a motion or event to complete a cycle and begin to repeat itself <the period of a pendulum> c : a single occurrence of menstruation
4 a : ¹STAGE 4e b : a division of geologic time longer than an epoch and included in an era c : a stage or portion of time in the history of something <the colonial period>
5 a : one of the divisions of the school day b : one of the divisions of the playing time of a game
6 : a series of elements of increasing atomic number as listed in horizontal rows in the periodic table
synonyms PERIOD, ERA, AGE mean a portion of time. PERIOD can be used of any portion of time, no matter how long or short <talked for a period of five minutes> <was a farmer for a period of twenty years>. ERA suggests a period of history noted for new or remarkable events <an era of space exploration>. AGE suggests a long period of time that is associated with an important person <the age of Thomas Jefferson> or an outstanding thing <the atomic age>.