intermittent

English

Etymology

From Latin intermittens (“sending between”), from prefix inter- (“among, between”), plus present participle mittens (“sending”), from mittere (“to send”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌɪntɜː(ɹ)ˈmɪtn̩t/, X-SAMPA: /%Int3:(r)"mItn=t/
• (US) IPA: /ˌɪntɚˈmɪtn̩t/, X-SAMPA: /%Int@`"mItn=t/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

intermittent (comparative more intermittent, superlative most intermittent)

1. Stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant

   The day was cloudy with intermittent rain.

   Intermittent bugs are most difficult to reproduce.

2. (specifically, geology, of a body of water) Existing only for certain seasons; that is, being dry for part of the year.

   The area has many intermittent lakes and streams.

Derived terms

• intermittently

Related terms

• inter
• inter-
• intermittence
• intermittency

Translations

stopping and starting at intervals

• Catalan: intermitent (ca)
• Chinese: 

  Mandarin: 斷斷續續 (cmn), 断断续续 (cmn) (duànduànxùxù)

• Czech: přerušovaný (cs)
• Danish: periodisk optrædende (da), uregelmæssig (da), afbrudt (da)
• Dutch: met (nl) tussenpozen (nl), wederkerend (nl)
• Finnish: ajoittainen (fi), epäsäännöllinen (fi); kuurottainen (fi) (of rain); sahaava (fi) (of fever)

• French: intermittent (fr)
• German: intermittierend (de), zeitweise (de), aussetzend (de)
• Maori: tāmutumutu (mi), taratahi (mi)
• Polish: sporadyczny (pl)
• Russian: прерывистый (ru) (prerývistyj)
• Spanish: intermitente (es)

Noun

intermittent (plural intermittents)

1. (medicine, dated) An intermittent fever or disease.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dunglison to this entry?)

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French

Adjective

intermittent m (feminine intermittente, masculine plural intermittents, feminine plural intermittentes)

1. Intermittent.

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Latin

Verb

intermittent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of intermittō