intermezzo

See also: Intermezzo and intermezzò

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermede and intermedium

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪntəˈmɛtsəʊ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪntɚˈmɛtsoʊ/
• (Italian-like) IPA^(key): /ɪntɛɹˈmɛdzoʊ/

Note: Despite being fully assimilated into English phonology by most English speakers, others maintain its Italian pronunciation.

Noun

intermezzo (plural intermezzos or intermezzi)

1. (music, art) A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle; a theatrical interlude.
   • 1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 8:

     She had ample time, too, to change for the next scene, which started with a longish intermezzo staged by a ballet company whose services Scotty had engaged [...].

2. (food) A palate cleanser; a small snack with a bright light neutral taste; a fruit; a fresh sparkling wine; or a fruity or milky cocktail; that is served between courses in a meal.
3. (chess) A tactical move which interrupts the execution of the current plan.

Derived terms

• intermezzo-like

Translations

piece of music or act

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 間奏曲 / 间奏曲 (jiānzòuqǔ)

• Finnish: välisoitto (music), välinäytös (act), intermezzo
• French: intermède (fr) m
• Greek: ιντερμέτζο (el) n (intermétzo), ιντερμέδιο (el) n (intermédio)
• Indonesian: intermeso (id), intermezo, selingan (id)
• Irish: idirchluiche m, idirmhír f
• Italian: intermezzo (it) m
• Japanese: インテルメッツォ (interumettso)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mellomspill n, intermesso n

• Polish: interludium n, intermedium n, intermezzo (pl) n, wstawka (pl) f
• Portuguese: intermezzo m
• Russian: интерме́ццо (ru) n (intɛrmɛ́cco), интерме́дия (ru) f (intɛrmédija)
• Swedish: intermezzo (sv) n

palate cleanser

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: välijuoma (drink), väliruoka (fi) (food; for either as a palate cleanser specifically, huuhtomaan maku pois suusta (“as a palate cleanser”, literally “to rinse the taste off the mouth”))
• French: please add this translation if you can

tactical move

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 頓挫 / 顿挫 (zh) (dùncuò)

• Finnish: välisiirto (fi)
• French: please add this translation if you can

See also

• interlude
• zwischenzug
• tenuki

Finnish

Etymology

Italian intermezzo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈintermetso/, [ˈin̪t̪e̞rˌme̞ts̠o̞]
• Rhymes: -etso
• Syllabification^(key): in‧ter‧mez‧zo
• Hyphenation^(key): in‧ter‧mez‧zo

Noun

intermezzo

1. (architecture) intermezzo

Declension

Inflection of intermezzo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		intermezzo	intermezzot
genitive		intermezzon	intermezzojen
partitive		intermezzoa	intermezzoja
illative		intermezzoon	intermezzoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		intermezzo	intermezzot
accusative	nom.	intermezzo	intermezzot
	gen.	intermezzon
genitive		intermezzon	intermezzojen
partitive		intermezzoa	intermezzoja
inessive		intermezzossa	intermezzoissa
elative		intermezzosta	intermezzoista
illative		intermezzoon	intermezzoihin
adessive		intermezzolla	intermezzoilla
ablative		intermezzolta	intermezzoilta
allative		intermezzolle	intermezzoille
essive		intermezzona	intermezzoina
translative		intermezzoksi	intermezzoiksi
abessive		intermezzotta	intermezzoitta
instructive		—	intermezzoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of intermezzo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative intermezzoni intermezzoni accusative nom. intermezzoni intermezzoni gen. intermezzoni genitive intermezzoni intermezzojeni partitive intermezzoani intermezzojani inessive intermezzossani intermezzoissani elative intermezzostani intermezzoistani illative intermezzooni intermezzoihini adessive intermezzollani intermezzoillani ablative intermezzoltani intermezzoiltani allative intermezzolleni intermezzoilleni essive intermezzonani intermezzoinani translative intermezzokseni intermezzoikseni abessive intermezzottani intermezzoittani instructive — — comitative — intermezzoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative intermezzosi intermezzosi accusative nom. intermezzosi intermezzosi gen. intermezzosi genitive intermezzosi intermezzojesi partitive intermezzoasi intermezzojasi inessive intermezzossasi intermezzoissasi elative intermezzostasi intermezzoistasi illative intermezzoosi intermezzoihisi adessive intermezzollasi intermezzoillasi ablative intermezzoltasi intermezzoiltasi allative intermezzollesi intermezzoillesi essive intermezzonasi intermezzoinasi translative intermezzoksesi intermezzoiksesi abessive intermezzottasi intermezzoittasi instructive — — comitative — intermezzoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative intermezzomme intermezzomme accusative nom. intermezzomme intermezzomme gen. intermezzomme genitive intermezzomme intermezzojemme partitive intermezzoamme intermezzojamme inessive intermezzossamme intermezzoissamme elative intermezzostamme intermezzoistamme illative intermezzoomme intermezzoihimme adessive intermezzollamme intermezzoillamme ablative intermezzoltamme intermezzoiltamme allative intermezzollemme intermezzoillemme essive intermezzonamme intermezzoinamme translative intermezzoksemme intermezzoiksemme abessive intermezzottamme intermezzoittamme instructive — — comitative — intermezzoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative intermezzonne intermezzonne accusative nom. intermezzonne intermezzonne gen. intermezzonne genitive intermezzonne intermezzojenne partitive intermezzoanne intermezzojanne inessive intermezzossanne intermezzoissanne elative intermezzostanne intermezzoistanne illative intermezzoonne intermezzoihinne adessive intermezzollanne intermezzoillanne ablative intermezzoltanne intermezzoiltanne allative intermezzollenne intermezzoillenne essive intermezzonanne intermezzoinanne translative intermezzoksenne intermezzoiksenne abessive intermezzottanne intermezzoittanne instructive — — comitative — intermezzoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative intermezzonsa intermezzonsa accusative nom. intermezzonsa intermezzonsa gen. intermezzonsa genitive intermezzonsa intermezzojensa partitive intermezzoaan intermezzoansa intermezzojaan intermezzojansa inessive intermezzossaan intermezzossansa intermezzoissaan intermezzoissansa elative intermezzostaan intermezzostansa intermezzoistaan intermezzoistansa illative intermezzoonsa intermezzoihinsa adessive intermezzollaan intermezzollansa intermezzoillaan intermezzoillansa ablative intermezzoltaan intermezzoltansa intermezzoiltaan intermezzoiltansa allative intermezzolleen intermezzollensa intermezzoilleen intermezzoillensa essive intermezzonaan intermezzonansa intermezzoinaan intermezzoinansa translative intermezzokseen intermezzoksensa intermezzoikseen intermezzoiksensa abessive intermezzottaan intermezzottansa intermezzoittaan intermezzoittansa instructive — — comitative — intermezzoineen intermezzoinensa

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in.terˈmɛd.d͡zo/
• Rhymes: -ɛddzo
• Hyphenation: in‧ter‧mèz‧zo

Etymology 1

From inter- (“between”) +‎ mezzo (“half”) (between halves).

Noun

intermezzo m (plural intermezzi)

1. intermezzo
2. interval, break

   Synonyms: pausa, intervallo

Descendants

• → English: intermezzo
• → Polish: intermezzo
• → Romanian: intermezzo

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

intermezzo

1. first-person singular present indicative of intermezzare

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermedium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /in.tɛrˈmɛt͡s.t͡sɔ/, /in.tɛrˈmɛd͡z.d͡zɔ/

• Audio 1:

  (file)

• Audio 2:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛt͡st͡sɔ, -ɛd͡zd͡zɔ
• Syllabification: in‧ter‧mez‧zo

Noun

intermezzo n

1. (music, opera) intermezzo (short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle)

   Synonyms: interludium, intermedium, wstawka

2. (historical, music, opera) intermezzo (musical and dramatic interlude of a comic character, performed in the antracts of Italian opera in the 17th–18th centuries)

Declension

Declension of intermezzo

	singular	plural
nominative	intermezzo	intermezza
genitive	intermezza	intermezzów
dative	intermezzu	intermezzom
accusative	intermezzo	intermezza
instrumental	intermezzem	intermezzami
locative	intermezzu	intermezzach
vocative	intermezzo	intermezza

Further reading

• intermezzo in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Italian intermezzo. Doublet of intermediu.

Noun

intermezzo n (plural intermezzouri)

1. intermezzo

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	intermezzo	intermezzoul		intermezzouri	intermezzourile
genitive-dative	intermezzo	intermezzoului		intermezzouri	intermezzourilor
vocative	intermezzoule			intermezzourilor