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Webster 1913 Edition


Intermittent

Inˊter-mit′tent

,
Adj.
[L.
intermittens
,
-entis
, p. pr. of
intermittere
: cf. F.
intermittent
.]
Coming and going at intervals; alternating; recurrent; periodic;
as, an
intermittent
fever
.
Boyle.
Intermittent fever
(Med.)
,
a disease with fever which recurs at certain intervals; – applied particularly to fever and ague. See
Fever
.
Intermittent gearing
(Mach.)
,
gearing which receives, or produces, intermittent motion.
Intermittent springs
,
springs which flow at intervals, not apparently dependent upon rain or drought. They probably owe their intermittent action to their being connected with natural reservoirs in hills or mountains by passages having the form of a siphon, the water beginning to flow when it has accumulated so as to fill the upper part of the siphon, and ceasing when, by running through it, it has fallen below the orifice of the upper part of the siphon in the reservoir.

Inˊter-mit′tent

,
Noun.
(Med.)
An intermittent fever or disease.
Dunglison.

Webster 1828 Edition


Intermittent

INTERMIT'TENT

,
Adj.
Ceasing at intervals; as an intermittent fever.

INTERMIT'TENT

,
Noun.
A fever which entirely subsides or ceases at certain intervals. The ague and fever is called an intermittent.

Definition 2024


intermittent

intermittent

English

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

Related terms

Translations

Noun

intermittent (plural intermittents)

  1. (medicine, dated) An intermittent fever or disease.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Dunglison to this entry?)

French

Adjective

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

  1. Intermittent.

Latin

Verb

intermittent

  1. third-person plural future active indicative of intermittō