| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| series |
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| SYLLABICATION: | se·ries |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  sîr  z |
| NOUN: | Inflected forms: pl. series
1. A number of objects or events arranged or coming one after the other in succession. 2. A set of stamps, coins or currency issued in a particular period. 3. Physics & Chemistry A group of objects related by linearly varying successive differences in form or configuration: a radioactive decay series; the paraffin alkane series. 4. Mathematics The sum of a sequentially ordered finite or infinite set of terms. 5. Geology A group of rock formations closely related in time of origin and distinct as a group from other formations. 6. Grammar A succession of coordinate elements in a sentence. 7a. A succession of usually continuously numbered issues or volumes of a publication, published with related authors or subjects and similar formats. b. A succession of regularly aired television programs, each one of which is complete in and of itself. 8a. Sports A number of games played by the same two teams, often in succession. b. Baseball The World Series. 9. Linguistics A set of vowels or diphthongs related by ablaut, as in sing, sang, sung, and song. | | IDIOM: | in series In an arrangement that forms a series. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin seris, from serere, to join. See ser-2 in Appendix I. | | SYNONYMS: | series, succession, progression, sequence, chain, train, string These nouns denote a number of things placed or occurring one after the other. Series refers to like, related, or identical things arranged or occurring in order: a series of days; a series of facts. In a succession the elements follow each other, generally in order of time and without interruption: a succession of failures. A progression reveals a definite pattern of advance: a geometric progression. In a sequence elements are ordered in a way that indicates a causal, temporal, numerical, or logical relationship or a recurrent pattern: a natural sequence of ideas. In a chain the elements are closely linked or connected: the chain of command; a chain of proof. Train can apply to a procession or to a sequence of ideas or events: a train of mourners; my train of thought. A string consists of similar or uniform elements likened to objects threaded on a long cord: a string of islands; a string of questions. | | USAGE NOTE: | Series is both a singular and a plural form. When it has the singular sense of “one set,” it takes a singular verb, even when series is followed by of and a plural noun: A series of lectures is scheduled. When it has the plural sense of “two or more sets,” it takes a plural verb: Two series of lectures are scheduled: one for experts and one for laypeople.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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