Result from Foreign Dictionaries (6 entries found)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Phase \Phase\ (f[=a]z), n.; pl. {Phases} (f[=a]z"[e^]z). [NL. phasis, Gr. fa`sis, fr. fai`nein to make to appear: cf. F. phase. See {Phenomenon}, {Phantom}, and {Emphasis}.] 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. [1913 Webster] 2. Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view; as, the problem has many phases. [1913 Webster] 3. (Astron.) A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form of enlightened disk; as, the phases of the moon or planets. See Illust. under {Moon}. [1913 Webster] 4. (Physics) 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. [1913 Webster] 5. (Phys. Chem.) A homogenous, physically distinct portion of matter in a system not homogeneous; as, the three phases, ice, water, and aqueous vapor; in a mixture of gasoline and water, the gasoline will settle as the upper phase. A phase may be either a single chemical substance or a mixture, as of gases. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 6. (Zool.) In certain birds and mammals, one of two or more color variations characteristic of the species, but independent of the ordinary seasonal and sexual differences, and often also of age. Some of the herons which appear in white and colored phases, and certain squirrels which are sometimes uniformly blackish instead of the usual coloration, furnish examples. Color phases occur also in other animals, notably in butterflies. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] 7. (Physics) the relation at any instant of any cyclically varying physical quantity, such as voltage in an A.C. circuit, an electromagnetic wave, a sound wave, or a rotating object, to its initial value as expressed as a fractional part of the complete cycle. It is usually expressed in angular measure, the complete cycle being 360[deg]. Such periodic variations are generally well represented by sine curves; and phase relations are shown by the relative positions of the crests and hollows of such curves. Magnitudes which have the same phase are said to be in phase. Note: The concept of phase is also applied generally to any periodically varying phenomenon, as the cycle of daylight. One person who sleeps during the day and another who sleeps at night may be said to be out of phase with each other. [PJC] 8. Specifically: (Elec.) The relation at any instant of a periodically varying electric magnitude, as electro-motive force, a current, etc., to its initial value as expressed in factorial parts of the complete cycle. It is usually expressed in angular measure, the cycle being four right angles, or 360[deg]. [Webster 1913 Suppl.] From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]: Phase \Phase\ (f[=a]z), v. t. [Cf. {Feeze}.] To disturb the composure of; to disconcert; to nonplus; -- an older spelling, now replaced by {faze}. [Colloq., Archaic] Syn: faze. [Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC] From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: phase n 1: 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: {phase}, {stage}] 2: (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: {phase}, {form}] 3: a particular point in the time of a cycle; measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle [syn: {phase}, {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" v 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" From The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003) [jargon]: phase 1. n. The offset of one's waking-sleeping schedule with respect to the standard 24-hour cycle; a useful concept among people who often work at night and/or according to no fixed schedule. It is not uncommon to change one's phase by as much as 6 hours per day on a regular basis. ?What's your phase?? ?I've been getting in about 8PM lately, but I'm going to {wrap around} to the day schedule by Friday.? A person who is roughly 12 hours out of phase is sometimes said to be in night mode. (The term day mode is also (but less frequently) used, meaning you're working 9 to 5 (or, more likely, 10 to 6).) The act of altering one's cycle is called changing phase; phase shifting has also been recently reported from Caltech. 2. change phase the hard way: To stay awake for a very long time in order to get into a different phase. 3. change phase the easy way: To stay asleep, etc. However, some claim that either staying awake longer or sleeping longer is easy, and that it is shortening your day or night that is really hard (see {wrap around}). The ?jet lag? that afflicts travelers who cross many time-zone boundaries may be attributed to two distinct causes: the strain of travel per se, and the strain of changing phase. Hackers who suddenly find that they must change phase drastically in a short period of time, particularly the hard way, experience something very like jet lag without traveling. From French-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.4 [fd-fra-eng]: phase /faz/ phase; stage From German-English FreeDict Dictionary ver. 0.3.3 [fd-deu-eng]: Phase /faːzə/ phase