se·ries

(sîr′ēz)

n. 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.

a. A succession of publications that present an extended narrative, such as a comic book series, or that have similar subjects or similar formats, such as a series of cookbooks.

b. A succession of individual programs presented as parts of a unified whole, such as the set of episodes of a television show or a podcast.

a. 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.

[Latin seriēs, from serere, to join; see ser- in Indo-European roots.]

Synonyms: series , chain , progression , sequence , string , succession
These nouns denote a number of things placed or occurring one after the other: a series of days, a series of facts; a chain of command, a chain of proof; a progression of courses toward a degree, a progression of prime numbers; a sequence of a chemical reactions, the sequence of events leading to the accident; a string of islands, a string of questions; a succession of failures, a succession of actors auditioning for the play.

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.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

in series - of or relating to the sequential performance of multiple operations; "serial processing"

nonparallel, serial

computer science, computing - the branch of engineering science that studies (with the aid of computers) computable processes and structures

asynchronous - not synchronous; not occurring or existing at the same time or having the same period or phase