A Quick and Simple Dictionary

phase

1. Noun.  A distinguishable part of a sequence or cycle occurring over time.
2. Noun.  That which is exhibited to the eye; the appearance which anything manifests, especially any one among different and varying appearances of the same object.
3. Noun.  Any appearance or aspect of an object of mental apprehension or view.
4. Noun.  (astronomy) A particular appearance or state in a regularly recurring cycle of changes with respect to quantity of illumination or form, or the absence, of its enlightened disk; as, ''the phases of the moon or planets''. Illustrated in Wikipedia's article ''Lunar phase''.
5. Noun.  (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.
6. Noun.  (rugby union) The period of play between consecutive breakdowns.
7. Noun.  (genetics) A haplotype.
8. Verb.  (to phase out) To discontinue (doing) something over a period of time (i.e., in phases).
9. Verb.  (transitive) To stun or shock someone.
10. Verb.  (genetics, informal) To determine haplotypes in (data) when genotypes are known.
11. Proper noun.  (obsolete) Passover.