intermittent en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˌɪntəˈmɪtn̩t/ (UK)
- /ˌɪntɚˈmɪtn̩t/ (US)
Etymology
From Middle French intermittent, from Latin intermittens (“sending between”), from prefix inter- (“among, on”) + mittens (“sending”), from mittere (“to send”).
Meanings
-
Stopping and starting, occurring, or presenting at intervals; coming after a particular time span.
[…] the Gift of Prophecy […] was in the mind not as an Inhabitant, but as a Guest; that is, by intermittent Returns and Ecstasies, by Occasional Raptures and Revelations; as is clear from what we read of the Prophets in the Old Testament.
1698, Robert South, Twelve Sermons upon Several Subjects and Occasions, volume 3, London: Thomas Bennet, page 511:[…] by degrees the talk became as flickering and intermittent as the light of the dying fire, which they were too idle to feed with sticks […]
1926, Hope Mirrlees, chapter 20, in Lud-in-the-Mist, London: Millennium, published 2000, page 193:[…] Pale through night’s curtain gleam’d By fits the lunar intermittent ray, That quiv’ring serv’d to light his lonely steps
1792, Richard Cumberland, Calvary: or The Death of Christ, London: C. Dilly, Book 5, lines 364-366, p. 164:The day was cloudy with intermittent rain.
[…] three scruffy-looking young men with intermittent facial hair and starvation-symptom physiques.
2015, John Irving, chapter 18, in Avenue of Mysteries, New York: Simon and Schuster, page 238:Intermittent bugs are most difficult to reproduce.
Also bloudletting is good in feuers, whether they be continual or intermittent […]
1564, Philip Moore, chapter 13, in The Hope of Health, London:
-
(of a body of water, specifically) Existing only for certain seasons; that is, being dry for part of the year.
The area has many intermittent lakes and streams.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more intermittent | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most intermittent | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
nonintermittent · Charcot's intermittent fever · intermittent lake · intermittentness · intermittently · Charcot intermittent fever · intermittent explosive disorder · intermittent fasting · unintermittent
Relateds
inter- · intermit · intermittency · intermittence · inter
Synonyms
intermittent · stop-start · intermissive · periodical · periodic · spasmodic · broken · discontinuous · fitful · catchy · spasmodic · patchy · patchy · ragged
Translations (69)
pl przerywany (stopping and starting at intervals) · mi taratahi (stopping and starting at intervals) · mi tāmutumutu (stopping and starting at intervals) · es intermitente (stopping and starting at intervals) · hu elszórt (stopping and starting at intervals) · sk sporadický (stopping and starting at intervals) · cmn 斷斷續續 /断断续续 (stopping and starting at intervals) · el διακεκομμένος (stopping and starting at intervals) · gd eadar-ùineach (stopping and starting at intervals) · hu szórványos (stopping and starting at intervals) · ga uaineach (stopping and starting at intervals) · pt intermitente (stopping and starting at intervals) · fr intermittent (stopping and starting at intervals) · ka დროგამოშვებითი (stopping and starting at intervals) · nl fluctuerend (stopping and starting at intervals) · ru пересыха́ющий (geology: being dry for part of the year) · th เป็น ๆ หาย ๆ (stopping and starting at intervals) · es esporádico (stopping and starting at intervals) · ar مُتَقَطِّع (stopping and starting at intervals) · da uregelmæssig (stopping and starting at intervals) · eu aldizkako (stopping and starting at intervals) · uk переривчастий (stopping and starting at intervals) · it intermittente (stopping and starting at intervals) · th เป็นพัก ๆ (stopping and starting at intervals) · ar مَوْسِمِيّ (geology: being dry for part of the year) · de aussetzend (stopping and starting at intervals) · th เป็นช่วง ๆ (stopping and starting at intervals) · fi sahaava (stopping and starting at intervals) · de intermittierend (stopping and starting at intervals) · mi kauteatea (stopping and starting at intervals) · nl wederkerend (stopping and starting at intervals) · pl nieciągły (stopping and starting at intervals) · th มีเว้นระยะ (stopping and starting at intervals) · cs sporadický (stopping and starting at intervals) · ka წყვეტილი (stopping and starting at intervals) · ga anois is arís (stopping and starting at intervals) · pl okresowy (geology: being dry for part of the year) · ga eadrannach (stopping and starting at intervals) · fi kuurottainen (stopping and starting at intervals) · sk občasný (stopping and starting at intervals) · pl przestankowy (stopping and starting at intervals) · ca intermitent (stopping and starting at intervals) · da afbrudt (stopping and starting at intervals) · sk prerušovaný (stopping and starting at intervals) · de zeitweise (stopping and starting at intervals) · cs přerušovaný (stopping and starting at intervals) · fi jaksoittainen (stopping and starting at intervals) · bg пресеклив (stopping and starting at intervals) · ja 時々途切れる (stopping and starting at intervals) · gl intermitente (stopping and starting at intervals) · ka დროდადრო (stopping and starting at intervals) · bg прекъснат (stopping and starting at intervals) · th เป็นระยะ (stopping and starting at intervals) · ga ó am go ham (stopping and starting at intervals) · eu noizean behingo (stopping and starting at intervals) · nl intermitterend (stopping and starting at intervals) · da periodisk optrædende (stopping and starting at intervals) · uk періодичний (stopping and starting at intervals) · el σποραδικός (stopping and starting at intervals) · fi ajoittain kuivuva (geology: being dry for part of the year) · fi ajoittainen (stopping and starting at intervals) · ru нестабильный (stopping and starting at intervals) · es discontinuo (stopping and starting at intervals) · tl gatol (stopping and starting at intervals) · ka შენაცვლებითი (stopping and starting at intervals) · el διαλείπων (stopping and starting at intervals) · ru преры́вистый (stopping and starting at intervals) · th เว้นระยะ (stopping and starting at intervals) · pl nawracający (stopping and starting at intervals)