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periodicmore about periodic

periodic

 

  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Periodic  \Per`i*od"ic\,  a.  [Pref.  per-  +  iodic.]  (Chem.) 
  Pertaining  to  derived  from  or  designating,  the  highest 
  oxygen  acid  (HIO?)  of  iodine. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Periodic  \Pe`ri*od"ic\,  Periodical  \Pe`ri*od"ic*al\,  a.  [L. 
  periodicus  Gr  ?:  cf  F.  p['e]riodique.] 
  1.  Of  or  pertaining  to  a  period  or  periods,  or  to  division  by 
  periods. 
 
  The  periodicaltimes  of  all  the  satellites.  --Sir  J. 
  Herschel. 
 
  2.  Performed  in  a  period,  or  regular  revolution;  proceeding 
  in  a  series  of  successive  circuits;  as  the  periodical 
  motion  of  the  planets  round  the  sun. 
 
  3.  Happening,  by  revolution,  at  a  stated  time;  returning 
  regularly,  after  a  certain  period  of  time;  acting, 
  happening,  or  appearing,  at  fixed  intervals;  recurring; 
  as  periodical  epidemics. 
 
  The  periodic  return  of  a  plant's  flowering. 
  --Henslow. 
 
  To  influence  opinion  through  the  periodical  press. 
  --Courthope. 
 
  4.  (Rhet.)  Of  or  pertaining  to  a  period;  constituting  a 
  complete  sentence. 
 
  {Periodic  comet}  (Astron.),  a  comet  that  moves  about  the  sun 
  in  an  elliptic  orbit;  a  comet  that  has  been  seen  at  two  of 
  its  approaches  to  the  sun. 
 
  {Periodic  function}  (Math.),  a  function  whose  values  recur  at 
  fixed  intervals  as  the  variable  uniformly  increases.  The 
  trigonomertic  functions,  as  sin  x,  tan  x,  etc.,  are 
  periodic  functions.  Exponential  functions  are  also 
  periodic,  having  an  imaginary  period,  and  the  elliptic 
  functions  have  not  only  a  real  but  an  imaginary  period, 
  and  are  hence  called  doubly  periodic. 
 
  {Periodic  law}  (Chem.),  the  generalization  that  the 
  properties  of  the  chemical  elements  are  periodic  functions 
  of  their  atomic  wieghts.  ``In  other  words  if  the  elements 
  are  grouped  in  the  order  of  their  atomic  weights,  it  will 
  be  found  that  nearly  the  same  properties  recur 
  periodically  throughout  the  entire  series.''  The  following 
  tabular  arrangement  of  the  atomic  weights  shows  the 
  regular  recurrence  of  groups  (under  I.,  II.,  III.,  IV., 
  etc.),  each  consisting  of  members  of  the  same  natural 
  family.  The  gaps  in  the  table  indicate  the  probable 
  existence  of  unknown  elements. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  periodic 
  adj  1:  happening  or  recurring  at  regular  intervals  [syn:  {periodical}] 
  [ant:  {aperiodic}] 
  2:  recurring  at  regular  intervals 
  3:  recurring  or  reappearing  from  time  to  time;  "periodic 
  feelings  of  anxiety"




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