stage

noun

1.
any distinct time period in a sequence of events
2.
a specific identifiable position in a continuum or series or especially in a process
3.
a large platform on which people can stand and can be seen by an audience
Derived from:
stage
4.
the theater as a profession (usually ‘the stage’)
5.
a large coach-and-four formerly used to carry passengers and mail on regular routes between towns
6.
a section or portion of a journey or course
7.
any scene regarded as a setting for exhibiting or doing something
Derived from:
stage
8.
a small platform on a microscope where the specimen is mounted for examination