Phase

6 definitions 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) 2.0 [wn]:

  phase
       n 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"
       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 Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  71 Moby Thesaurus words for "phase":
     angle, appearance, aspect, color, complexion, condition,
     configuration, development, discontinue, ease off, effect, eidolon,
     end, facet, fashion, feature, figure, form, gestalt, guise, hand,
     image, imago, impression, include, incorporate, inject, insert,
     insinuate, juncture, light, likeness, lineaments, look, manner,
     moment, occasion, period, phase in, phase out, phasis,
     point of view, position, posture, reference, regard, remove,
     respect, seeming, semblance, shape, side, simulacrum, situation,
     slant, stage, state, status, step, style, taper off, time,
     total effect, twist, usher in, view, viewpoint, wind up, wise,
     withdraw, work in
  
  

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [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 8 P.M. 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 The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  phase
       
          1. 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 8 P.M. 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 travelling.