6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Phase  \Phase\,  v.  t.  [Cf.  {Feeze}.] 
  To  disturb  the  composure  of  to  disconcert;  to  nonplus. 
  [Colloq.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Phase  \Phase\,  n. 
  1.  (Phys.  Chem.)  A  homogenous,  physically  distinct  portion  of 
  matter  in  a  system  not  homogeneous;  as  the  three  phases, 
  ice,  water,  and  aqueous  vapor.  A  phase  may  be  either  a 
  single  chemical  substance  or  a  mixture,  as  of  gases. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  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. 
 
  3.  (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  beb  four  right 
  angles,  or  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Phase  \Phase\,  n.;  pl  {Phases}.  [NL.  phasis,  Gr  ?,  fr  ?  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. 
 
  2.  Any  appearance  or  aspect  of  an  object  of  mental 
  apprehension  or  view;  as  the  problem  has  many  phases. 
 
  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}. 
 
  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 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [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:  {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" 
  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  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [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  (13  Mar  01)  [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. 
 
 

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