period

period — noun

1. a stretch of time with a clear start and finish

1.名詞B1
釋義

a stretch of time with a clear start and finish

例句

The museum closed for a short period during roof repairs.

collocation: for a short period

After a long period abroad, Mina missed Taipei night markets.

同義詞
  • time

    the most general word; period more often suggests a bounded stretch

  • stretch

    more informal and often emphasizes continuity

  • span

    slightly more formal and common with measured lengths

  • interval

    often the gap between two events rather than any duration

用法筆記

Common with adjectives like short, long, and brief, and in phrases such as for a period. Distinguish from noun/2, which refers to a named stage in life or history.

2. a named stage in someone's life or in a country's past

2.名詞B2
釋義

a named stage in someone's life or in a country's past

例句

The novel shows Clara's happiest period as a young mother.

pattern: [name]'s ... period

Many poems from that period describe life after the war.

同義詞
  • era

    usually a broader historical time

  • phase

    often one part of a process or development

  • stage

    common for one step in life or growth

  • age

    can suggest a long historical or cultural condition

用法筆記

Often follows a personal, artistic, or historical label, as in his Paris period or the postwar period. Distinguish from noun/1, which can be any stretch of time, named or unnamed.

3. one teaching block in a school day, usually for one subject

3.名詞B1
釋義

one teaching block in a school day, usually for one subject

例句

Our first period on Monday is science with Mr. Lee.

pattern: first/second/last period

Nina forgot her gym shoes before third period began.

同義詞
  • lesson

    focuses on the teaching session itself

  • class

    very common when referring to the subject meeting

  • slot

    emphasizes the position in the timetable

  • session

    broader and sometimes longer than a school period

用法筆記

Usually appears with ordinal numbers or modifiers like first, third, lunch, and last. In school talk, it can mean both the timetable slot and the class that happens in that slot.

4. one official section of playing time in a game

4.名詞B2
釋義

one official section of playing time in a game

例句

The Tigers scored twice in the second period.

sports pattern: second period

Fans stood and cheered at the end of the final period.

同義詞
  • section

    general word for one part of a game

  • quarter

    only for games divided into four parts

  • stage

    broader and less sport-specific

  • frame

    used only in some sports, not a general equivalent

用法筆記

Most often used with ordinal numbers in sports that divide play into set sections, especially ice hockey. Distinguish from noun/3, which is about the school timetable.

5. the monthly bleeding from the uterus that happens when there is no pregnancy

5.名詞B1
釋義

the monthly bleeding from the uterus that happens when there is no pregnancy

例句

Ella stayed home because her period started that morning.

common verb: period started

Some students keep pain medicine in their bags during their period.

同義詞

用法筆記

In everyday English, people often say just period, especially with have, get, start, or be on. In medical or formal writing, menstrual period is clearer.

常見錯誤

❌I got period yesterday.
✅I got my period yesterday.
💡This sense usually takes a possessive word such as my, her, or your.

6. the small round mark written after a sentence or some shortened words

6.名詞B2
釋義

the small round mark written after a sentence or some shortened words

例句

Please put a period after the final word.

pattern: put a period after

In American English, Dr. often takes a period.

usage: abbreviations with period

同義詞
  • full stop

    the standard term in British English

  • dot

    informal and focused on the shape

  • point

    used in some technical settings, but less common in grammar teaching

用法筆記

Commoner in American English; British English usually says full stop for the punctuation mark. Distinguish from noun/7, where period is added for emphasis after a statement.

常見錯誤

❌Put a point at the end of the sentence.
✅Put a period at the end of the sentence.
💡In American English, period is the usual grammar term.

7. a word added after a strong statement to show the speaker considers the matter c

7.名詞C1
釋義

a word added after a strong statement to show the speaker considers the matter closed

例句

I'm not lending him money this month, period.

informal finality: statement + period

The coach said practice starts at six, period.

同義詞

用法筆記

Mostly informal and especially common in American English. It usually follows a short, forceful statement and adds blunt finality.

常見錯誤

❌Add a period after the sentence' when you mean the emphatic word.
✅Add the word period after the sentence for emphasis.
💡Sense 7 is the extra word, not the punctuation mark in sense 6.

period — adjective