Diphasic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Occurring in or made up of two separate phases, stages or periods of activity
2. Showing two distinct phases, such as a sleep pattern split into two parts across the night
3. Divided into two clearly separated stages, cycles or periods of time or operation

Etymology: "Diphasic" is simply "di-" ("two") joined to "phasic," the adjective from "phase." The "phase" element traces back through Late Latin "phasis" to Greek "phasis," an appearance or aspect, and it came to describe a stage or part of a larger process. Attaching "di-" gives the plain sense of something that occurs in two distinct stages or phases. The term is most at home in medicine and science, where a process, a pattern of sleep, or a reaction can unfold in two clearly separate steps. Its meaning is transparent from its parts, so the word needs little more than that explanation.

Synonyms: biphasic

Antonyms: monophasic