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period of night; nighttime. [Obs.] Chaucer.

An instrument for measuring the rise of water in the Nile during its periodical flood.

A new star, usually appearing suddenly, shining for a brief period, and then sinking into obscurity. Such appearances are supposed to result from cosmic collisions, as of a dark star with interstellar nebulosities. The most important modern novæ are: -- No"va Co*ro"næ Bo`re*a"lis [1866]; No"va Cyg"ni [1876]; No"va An*d…

One who is going through a novitiate, or period of probation; a novice. Addison.

Fig.: The state of being occult. The reappearance of such an author after those long periods of occultation. Jeffrey. Circle of perpetual occultation. See under Circle.

Happening every eighth year; also, lasting a period of eight years. Johnson. -- Oc*ten"ni*al*ly, adv.

Of or pertaining to sexual desire; -- mostly applied to brute animals; as, the oestrual period; oestrual influence.

A vehement desire; esp. (Physiol.), the periodical sexual impulse of animals; heat; rut.

iality and familiarity. "Go thy ways, old lad." Shak. Old age, advanced years; the latter period of life. -- Old bachelor. See Bachelor, 1. -- Old Catholics. See under Catholic. -- Old English. See under English. n., 2. -- Old Nick, Old Scratch, the devil. -- Old lady (Zoöl.), a large European noctuid moth (Mormo…

ting, certain strata which occupy an intermediate position between the Eocene and Miocene periods. -- n.

A period of four years, by which the ancient Greeks reckoned time, being the interval from one celebration of the Olympic games to another, beginning with the victory of Coroebus in the foot race, which took place in the year 776 b.c.; as, the era of the olympiads.

At some one period of time; -- used indefinitely. My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee. Addison. That court which we shall once govern. Bp. Hall.

Referring to future time: At some uncertain day or period; some day. Well, I will marry one day. Shak.

A period of time marked off by the revolution of a heavenly body. [R.] Milton.

The path described by a heavenly body in its periodical revolution around another body; as, the orbit of Jupiter, of the earth, of the moon.

Of periods of time or occurrences, and the like. The side chambers were . . . thirty in order. Ezek. xli. 6. Bright-harnessed angels sit in order serviceable. Milton. Good order is the foundation of all good things. Burke.

ignating, or pertaining to, certain beds, chiefly limestone, characteristic of the latest period of the Silurian age. Oriskany period, a subdivision of the American Paleozoic system intermediate or translational in character between the Silurian and Devonian ages. See Chart of Geology.

atus which illustrates, by the revolution of balls moved by wheelwork, the relative size, periodic motions, positions, orbits, etc., of bodies in the solar system.

To date later than the true or proper period. Milton.

gland who adopted the theology of the so-called Oxford "Tracts for the Times," issued the period 1833 -- 1841. Shipley. -- Oxford tie, a kind of shoe, laced on the instep, and usually covering the foot nearly to the ankle.