Definition

Noun: - The initial segment of a game: In sports or timed games, "first period" refers to the opening, officially timed division of play. It is the first of multiple distinct intervals that make up the full game.

Usage

• This term is primarily used in the context of timed team sports, such as ice hockey, basketball, or water polo, where the total game time is divided into sections called periods.
• It is used to discuss events, strategies, or the score specifically within that opening segment.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "End of the first period": A common phrase marking the conclusion of this initial segment.
  • The score was tied 1-1 at the end of the first period.

Variants and Related Words

• Period (n): A distinct, fixed time interval in a game or other activity.
• Quarter (n): A division of play, typically used in basketball and American football; a game may have a "first quarter" instead of a "first period."
• Half (n): A division of play, as in soccer or rugby; a game has a "first half."

Synonyms

• Opening period
• Initial period
• First stanza (less common, sometimes used in broadcasting)

Related Phrases

• First-period goals/penalties: Refers to events that occurred specifically during the first period.
  • All of the game's first-period penalties were for tripping.

Noun

1. the first division into which the play of a game is divided