Dictionary

interdigitate en · VERB

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Indo-European *-tér Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥tér Proto-Italic *n̥ter Latin inter Latin inter-bor. English inter- English digitate English interdigitate From inter- + digitate.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To fold or lock together, as when the fingers of one hand are laced between those of the other.
2. (intransitive) To become folded or locked together, like the fingers of a folded hand.
   • Figure 1.4 shows a modern thyristor encapsulated in a presspack housing and Figure 1.5 illustrates a typical interdigitated gate geometry in a high-power thyristor; the black areas indicate silicon ( Si0₂ ) and the white areas the Al metallisation. 1998, J. Arrillaga, High Voltage Direct Current Transmission, page 6:
3. (figuratively, transitive) To intermingle; to present alternately items from one group and then another.
   • Thirdly, I continue to attempt to interdigitate the taxa in our flora with taxa of the remainder of the world. 1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page viii:

Forms

Deriveds

interdigitation

Relateds

finger joint · collate

Translations (4)

hu (fésűsen) egymásba fonódik/kapcsolódik (to become folded or locked together, like the fingers of a folded hand) · pl spleść (to become folded or locked together, like the fingers of a folded hand) · pl splatać (to become folded or locked together, like the fingers of a folded hand) · hu összefonódik (to become folded or locked together, like the fingers of a folded hand)