See Also: performance art(dictionary)
PERFORMANCE(law)
performance(medicine)
performance(dictionary)
performance(dictionary)
performance art(encyclopedia)
Pay for Performance(money)
Process Performance(money)
Performance stock(money)
Performance shares(money)

performance (iou)



performance noun. L15.
[from PERFORM + -ANCE.]
The execution or accomplishment of an action, operation, or process undertaken or ordered; the doing of any action or work; the quality of this, esp. as observable under particular conditions; spec. the capabilities of a machine, esp. a motor vehicle or aircraft, measured under test. L15.
A. Paton They worked and sang together in the performance of the daily tasks. J. Bronowski To..step up the performance of the water wheel as a machine. Which? Philips gave the best blend of price and performance.
b. Something performed or done; an action, a deed; esp. a notable deed or achievement; spec. a literary or artistic work (now rare). L16.
P. Gay Freud's lecture was a lively, highly skilful forensic performance.
c. spec. The extent to which an investment is profitable, esp. in relation to other commodities; an instance of this. E20.
The carrying out or fulfilment of a command, duty, purpose, promise, etc. M16.
H. F. Cary To fair request Silent performance maketh best return.
The action of performing a play, a part in a play, a piece of music, etc.; an instance of this, a public exhibition or production of a play, piece of music, etc. E17.
F. Fergusson An Easter performance of the Mattias Passion. L. Hellman Tallulah, in the first months of the play, gave a fine performance.
b. A ceremony, a rite. L17-M18.
c. A display of anger or exaggerated behaviour; a fuss, a scene. Also, a difficult or annoying procedure. colloq. M20.
R. Ingalls She put on a performance, talked loudly, looking round at the other people in the restaurant.
Phrases: specific performance: see SPECIFIC adjective.
Comb.: performance art a form of visual art combining static elements with dramatic performance; performance artist a person engaged or taking part in performance art; performance bond: issued by a bank etc. guaranteeing the fulfilment of a particular contract; performance car: with very good performance; performance poetry: intended to be performed as a dramatic monologue or exchange and freq. involving extemporization; performance practice the body of codes or standards dictating the style of performance of a piece of music, based on assumptions about the notation, instruments, etc., of the period concerned; performance test (a) Psychology a non-verbal test of ability or intelligence based on the performance of certain manual tasks; (b) the measurement of weight gain, food conversion, and other heritable characteristics, as a guide to selective breeding of farm animals; performance-tested adjective (of a farm animal) having had heritable qualities evaluated; performance testing the evaluation of a farm animal's heritable characteristics.