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periodical, a. (n.)|pɪərɪˈɒdɪkəl|
[f. as periodic a.1 + -al1.]
A. adj.
1. = periodic a. 1. † periodical month: see quot. 1690.
1603Holland Plutarch's Mor. 1024 Nature..determined motion with periodicall revolutions. 1690Leybourn Curs. Math. 467 The Periodical Month is that interval of time, in which the Moon returneth to the same place in the Zodiack from whence she departed. 1704J. Harris Lex. Techn. I. s.v., The Periodical Motion of the Moon, is that whereby she finishes her Course round about the Earth in a Month. a1721J. Keill Maupertuis' Diss. (1734) 37 The Periodical times of the Planets. 1846Joyce Sci. Dial., Astron. xiv. 98 This is called the periodical month.
2. a. Recurring after more or less regular periods of time; characterized by periods (of occurrence, variation, etc.): = periodic a.1 2.
periodical cicada, a species of N. American cicada (C. septendecim), the larva of which remains buried from 13 to 17 years underground. periodical river, periodical stream, etc., one that flows and dries up in successive periods.
1601Holland Pliny xx. iii. 38 Intermittent fevers which the Greeks call Periodicall. 1611Cotgr., Periodic, -ique, periodicall. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iv. xii. 215 Plato, who measured the vicissitude and mutation of States, by a periodicall fatality of number. 1661Blount Glossogr. (ed. 2) s.v., An Ague is called a Periodical disease, because it keeps a just time of its return. 1783Justamond tr. Raynal's Hist. Indies II. 224 The rains, as in the other countries situated under the tropics, are periodical. 1800Hist. Ind. in Asiat. Ann. Reg. 9/1 At the commencement of the northerly periodical winds. 1833Herschel Astron. xii. 381 Among the stars are several which..undergo a regular periodical increase and diminution of lustre... These are called periodical stars. 1850R. G. Cumming Hunter's Life S. Afr. (1902) 58/1 We encamped on..a periodical stream, in the gravelly bed of which fine spring-water could be obtained by digging. 1881Stokes in Nature XXIV. 613/2 These [sun] spots as to their frequency and magnitude appear to be subject to a periodical inequality. 1890Cent. Dict. s.v. Cicadidæ, Some species, like the seventeen-year locust or periodical cicada, are noted for their length of life underground.
b. Occurring in a regular succession.
periodical colours: a series of coloured rings or bands due to the interference of light waves, in which almost the same colours are repeated several times in similar order, e.g. Newton's rings.
1830Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. ii. ii. 100 Doubly refracting substances exhibit periodical colours by exposure to polarized light. 1831Brewster Optics xiv. 125 The new series of periodical colours which cross both the ordinary and the lateral images.
3. Arith. Of, pertaining to, or expressed in, periods (sense 13). rare.
1674S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 15 The Periodical Division shews the thousandth place of the Number.
4. = periodic 3. ? Obs.
1683Cave Ecclesiastici 335 Nazianzen's [style] is..more sententious and periodical. 1710Addison Whig Exam. No. 4 ⁋4 Your high nonsense..is loud and sonorous, smooth and periodical. 1780Harris Philol. Enq. ii. iv. 103 The author..would refer..to the beginnings of his Hermes and his Philosophical Arrangements, where some attempts have been made in this periodical style.
5. a. Of literary publications, magazines, etc.: Published at regular intervals longer than a day, as weekly, monthly, etc. b. Written in or characteristic of such publications; writing for or connected with magazines, etc.
In b, rather an attrib. use of the n., B. 1.
1716Addison Freeholder No. 45 ⁋7 No Periodical Author..must effect to keep in vogue for any considerable time. 1766W. Gordon Gen. Counting-ho. 260 Magazines and such periodical writings. 1806Southey Lett., to Lieut. Southey 5 Mar., He..knows good from bad, which is not very often the case with periodical critics. 1838–9Hallam Hist. Lit. iv. vi. §35 The Mercure Galant was a famous magazine of light periodical amusement. a1854H. Reed Lect. Eng. Lit. vii. (1878) 231 The periodical literature, destined to acquire such unbounded influence in the news⁓paper press, and the leading reviews. 1882Froude Carlyle I. 259 Some [literary men] were selling their souls to the periodical press.
6. Assuming a system of periods. (nonce-use.)
1825Culbertson Lect. Rev. xiii. 184 All the periodical interpreters consider the Church of Ephesus as the hieroglyphic of the Universal or Catholic Church during the age of the Apostles.
B. n. [elliptical use of the adj.]
1. A magazine or miscellany, the successive numbers of which are published at regular intervals (as weekly, monthly, etc.). Not applied to a book published in parts, nor usually to a daily, weekly, or monthly newspaper. Also attrib.
1798J. Anderson in Washington's Writ. (1893) XIV. 53 note, It will be a monthly periodical. 1839Lowell Lett. (1894) I. 46 [To] get paid for contributions to periodicals. 1878Lecky Eng. in 18th C. I. iv. 519 The ‘Gentleman's Magazine’..was speedily followed by..the ‘London Magazine’: and in 1750 there were eight periodicals of this kind. 1878Harper's Mag. Jan. 192 He used to look into the windows of the periodical stores. 1910A. E. Bostwick Amer. Publ. Library 282 In some New York branches periodical reading rooms may be used as assembly rooms. 1938L. M. Harrod Librarians' Gloss. 99 Magazine case, a cover for periodicals, usually having some contrivance for holding the magazine-cord, rod, etc. Also called ‘Periodical case’ and ‘Reading case’. 1961T. Landau Encycl. Librarianship (ed. 2) 275/2 Periodical stack, a stack constructed to display periodicals, with space on lower shelves for storage of back numbers.
2. nonce-uses.
a. = Periodical motion;
b. A periodical examination.
1892Ohio Statesman 3 May, The superior planets..making their regular periodicals around the sun in their regular periods. 1897Abbott & Campbell Life & Lett. Jowett II. v. 136 They were examined at their various ‘periodicals’ to test their progress.
3. pl. U.S. slang. Recurring drinking bouts or sprees.
1890in Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang II. 124/1 Are you in the book business?.. Ma and pa were talking last night about your having your little periodicals. 1902H. L. Wilson Spenders x. 107 They telegraphed the Butte National to wire his description, and the answer was ‘tall and drunk’. Well, son, his periodicals wa'n't all.
Hence periˈodicalness, the quality of being periodical or recurring periodically. rare.
1670Phil. Trans. V. 2075 The opinion of Galen and others concerning the Periodicalness or Stated returns of that Flux. 1727in Bailey vol. II, and in mod. Dicts. |