Definition of "phase" []

• A distinct stage of development: "The American occupation of Japan fell into three successive phases” ( Edwin O. Reischauer). (noun)
• A temporary manner, attitude, or pattern of behavior: just a passing phase. (noun)
• An aspect; a part: every phase of the operation. (noun)
• Astronomy One of the cyclically recurring apparent forms of the moon or a planet. (noun)
• Physics A particular stage in a periodic process or phenomenon. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In order to divide, the cell must re-enter the cycle in S-phase is short for synthesis phase."
• "Zukowski and Ziegelmeyer said that archeologists requested that the rock be submitted for further laboratory analysis, in what they describe as phase two of their investigation."
• "Well .. actually, beta phase is a term used by Web 2.0 developers for finding bugs and to test new features."