phant-, phanta-, -phant, phas-. -phasic +

To terminate work on, production of, etc.; step by step and according to a plan.

1. Relating to a clearly distinguishable period or stage in a process, in the development of something, or in a sequence of events.
2. A reference to a period of time when a situation or particular pattern of behavior persists and is often annoying or worrying.
3. Characterized by one of the many parts or aspects of something: "They wanted to restructure the phasic process of their program."

A manner, stage, or aspect of being; a phase.

1. Having more than one phase or multiple phases.
2. Of or pertaining to a set of alternating currents that have the same frequency but different phases and that enter a specified region at more than two points.

1. A machine generating more than one pressure wave; a multiphaser.
2. Consisting of, or occurring, in a number of separate stages.

With reference to an electrical device, or circuit, a polyphaser is designed to supply or to use simultaneously several alternating currents of the same voltage and frequency but with different phases.

The structure of a material consisting of several phases (particular stages or aspects).

1. Having more than two phases.
2. Habitually doing more than one thing at a time: "She has a polyphasic personality."

1. A reference to the production of severe phases, as an alternating electrical current.
2. Characterized by having some quick bursts.

A term coined by early 20th century psychologist J.S. Szymanski, which refers to the practice of sleeping multiple times in a 24-hour period; usually, more than two, in contrast to "biphasic sleep".

1. Flatterer, servile flattery; toady.
2. The character or characteristics of a sycophant.

1. A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage.
2. A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people; especially, "of princes and great men".
3. Etymology: (in Latin, in the form of sycophanta), "informer, talebearer, slanderer," from Latin sycophanta, from Greek sykophantes, originally, "someone who shows the fig"; from sykon, "fig" plus phanein, "to show".

"Showing the fig" was a vulgar gesture made by sticking the thumb between two fingers, a display which vaguely resembles a fig, itself symbolic of a woman's sex organ (sykon also meant "vulva").

The story goes that prominent politicians in ancient Greece held aloof from such inflammatory gestures, but privately urged their followers to taunt their opponents. The term sukophantes came to be used for an "informer", and eventually, via "one who ingratiates himself by informing", for a "flatterer" or "toady".

The sense of "mean, servile flatterer" is first recorded in English in 1575.

Sycophant has many synonyms

Since a sycophant is defined as "someone who attempts to win favor or advance him/herself by flattering people of influence"; such a servile self-seeker may also be referred to as: "a bootlicker, a flunky, a lacky, a fawner, an apple polisher, a backslapper, a cat's paw, a yes-man/yes-woman, a parasite", or "a toady".

An ancient explanation of the derivation of sycophant is that it stemmed from the Greek sukophantes, "fig shower".

It isn't clear just what significance a "fig shower" was, but its apparent meaning was "informer", someone who denounced to officials anyone not paying the tariff on figs, a heavily taxed item in some ancient past.

Since these informants were playing up to the government, they were called government toadies.

Although this has been documented, some etymology spoofers believe that all of this is simply a figment of someone's imagination.

Characteristic of a sycophant; sycophantical; such as, "servile parasites give sycophantic praise to every word."

1. Servilely courting favor; servile, slavish.
2. A reference to or descriptive of a sycophant.

Sycophantical.

Like a sycophant; obsequiously flattering.