1 xz is a command line tool with syntax similar to that of gzip. 2  xzdec is a decompression-only tool smaller than the full-featured xz tool. 3  A set of shell scripts (xzgrep, xzdiff, etc.) have been adapted from gzip to ease viewing, grepping, and comparing compressed files.
Epoch (astronomy), a moment in time used as a reference for the orbital elements of a celestial body. Epoch (cosmology) or cosmologic epoch, a phase in the development of the universe since the Big Bang. Epoch (geology) or geologic epoch, a span of time smaller than a period and larger than an age.
Period refers to the time that it takes to do something. When an event occurs repeatedly, then we say that the event is periodic and refer to the time for the event to repeat itself as the period. The period of a wave is the time for a particle on a medium to make one complete vibrational cycle. Period, being a time, is measured in units of time such as seconds, hours, days or years. The period of orbit for the Earth around the Sun is approximately 365 days; it takes 365 days for the Earth to complete a cycle.