"phases" in the noun sense

1. phase, stage

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"

2. phase, form

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. phase, phase angle

a particular point in the time of a cycle measured from some arbitrary zero and expressed as an angle

4. phase

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"

"phases" in the verb sense

1. phase

arrange in phases or stages

"phase a withdrawal"

2. phase

adjust so as to be in a synchronized condition

"he phased the intake with the output of the machine"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

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