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Interval vs Intermittent - What's the difference?

interval | intermittent |

As nouns the difference between interval and intermittent

is that interval is a distance in space while intermittent is an intermittent fever or disease.

As an adjective intermittent is

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

interval

Noun

(en noun)
  • A distance in space.
  • * Milton
  • 'Twixt host and host but narrow space was left, / A dreadful interval .
  • A period of time.
  • the interval between contractions during childbirth
  • (music) The difference (a ratio or logarithmic measure) in pitch between two notes, often referring to those two pitches themselves (otherwise known as a dyad).
  • (mathematics) A connected section of the real line which may be empty or have a length of zero.
  • (chiefly, British) An intermission.
  • (sports) half time, a scheduled intermission between the periods of play
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=November 12 , author= , title=International friendly: England 1-0 Spain , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Spain made three substitutions at the interval , sending on former Arsenal captain Fabregas, Chelsea's Juan Mata and Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina for Xavi, David Silva and Casillas.}}
  • (cricket) Either of the two breaks, at lunch and tea, between the three sessions of a day's play
  • Hyponyms

    * (mathematics) open interval, half-open interval, closed interval

    intermittent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • 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.
  • (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

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine, dated) An intermittent fever or disease.
  • (Dunglison)
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