intermittent

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɪntəˈmɪtn̩t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɪntɚˈmɪtn̩t/

• Audio (US)

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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.

Noun

intermittent (plural intermittents)

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

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

Adjective

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

1. Intermittent.

Further reading

• “intermittent” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Verb

intermittent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of intermittō