phase

1 (physical chemistry) a distinct state of matter in a system; matter that is identical in chemical composition and physical state and separated from other material by the phase boundary; "the reaction occurs in the liquid phase of the system" [syn: form]

2 any distinct time period in a sequence of events; "we are in a transitional stage in which many former ideas must be revised or rejected" [syn: stage]

3 a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle [syn: phase angle]

4 (astronomy) the particular appearance of a body's state of illumination (especially one of the recurring shapes of the part of Earth's moon that is illuminated by the sun); "the full phase of the moon"

1 arrange in phases or stages; "phase a withdrawal"

2 adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition; "he phased the intake with the output of the machine"

English

Pronunciation

• fāz, /feɪz/, /feIz/

  Homophones: faze

  Rhymes: -eɪz

Etymology

From phasis.

Noun

1. That which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances of the same object.
2. Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view

   The problem has many phases.

3. A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form, or the absence, of its enlightened disk; as, the phases of the moon or planets. Illustrated in Wikipedia's article Lunar phase.
4. 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.

Translations

• Afrikaans: fase
• Czech: fáze (astronomy)
• Czech: fáze (physics, matter)
• Dutch: fase
• Finnish: vaihe (2-4)
• Romanian: fază

Verb

1. (to phase out) To discontinue (doing) something over a period of time (i.e., in phases).
2. To stun or shock someone.
3. To become stunned or shocked.

Usage notes

The sense of phase meaning stunned or shocked is a misspelling of the intended word faze. This has become fairly common nonstandard use. See notes at faze.

Derived terms

• phase in
• phase out

French

Pronunciation

Noun

fr-noun f

1. phase

A phase is one point or portion in a recurring series of changes. Phase or phases may also refer to:

In science and engineering

• Phase (matter), a physically distinctive form of a substance, such as the solid, liquid, and gaseous states of ordinary matter
• The initial condition of a cyclic phenomenon
  • Phase (waves), initial angle of a sinusoid function at its origin
  • Continuous Fourier transform, angle of a complex coefficient representing the phase of one sinusoidal component
• The current (time varying) state of a cyclic phenomenon
  • Lunar phase, the appearance of the Moon as viewed from the Earth
  • Planetary phase, the appearance of the illuminated section of a planet
  • Instantaneous phase, generalization for both cyclic and non-cyclic phenomena
• Phase factor, a complex scalar in the context of quantum mechanics
• Polyphase system, a means of distributing alternating current electric power in multiple conducting wires with definite phase offsets
  • Single-phase electric power
  • Three-phase electric power Basics of three-phase electric power
  • Three-phase Mathematics of three-phase electric power
• In biology, a part of the cell cycle in which cells divide and reproduce
• Phaser (effect), an audio effect.
• Archaeological phase, a discrete period of occupation at an archaeological site.

In fiction

• "Phases" (Buffy episode), an episode of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Phases (.hack), fictional boss monsters from the .hack franchise
• Phase, an incarnation of the DC Comics character usually known as Phantom Girl
• Phase IV, a 1974 science fiction movie directed by Saul Bass

Other

• Phase (syntax), a syntactic domain hypothesized by Noam Chomsky
• Phase 10, a card game created by Fundex Games
• Phase (game), a music game for the iPod developed by Harmonix Music Systems

See also

• Faze
• Phaser
• Phasor
• FASOR

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