Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To suspend an activity; cease.
  • intransitive verb To suspend (an activity).

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To put a temporary stop to; suspend or delay; interrupt: as, to intermit one's efforts.
  • To omit; pass by or over; neglect.
  • To cease or break off for a time; come to a temporary stop; stop or pause at intervals: as, a spring that intermits once in three minutes; an intermitting pulse.
  • Synonyms Subside, etc. See abate.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To cease for a time or at intervals; to moderate; to be intermittent, as a fever.
  • transitive verb To cause to cease for a time, or at intervals; to interrupt; to suspend.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To interrupt, to stop or cease temporarily or periodically; to suspend.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb cease an action temporarily

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin intermittere : inter-, inter- + mittere, to let go.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin intermittere, from inter- + mittere.

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Examples

  • In fevers which do not intermit, if the external parts be cold, and the internal burning hot, and fever prevail, it is a mortal sign.

    Aphorisms 2007

  • In a fever which does not intermit, if a lip, the nose, or an eye be distorted, if the patient lose his sense of sight or of hearing, while now in a weak state, - whatever of these symptoms occurs it is mortal.

    Aphorisms 2007

  • Fevers, not of the intermittent type, which are exacerbated on the third day, are dangerous; but if they intermit in any form, this indicates that they are not dangerous.

    Aphorisms 2007

  • Fevers, not of the intermittent type, if they become exacerbated every third day are dangerous; but if they intermit in any form whatever, this shows that they are not dangerous.

    Aphorisms 2007

  • Those, then, who make use of ptisan in such diseases, should never for a day allow their vessels to be empty of it, if I may say so, but should use it and not intermit, unless it be necessary to stop for a time, in order to administer medicine or a clyster.

    On Regimen In Acute Diseases 2007

  • My heart, however, labours under a double affliction: For my poor boy is very, very bad — a violent fever — nor can it be brought to intermit. —

    Clarissa Harlowe 2006

  • If there be anything which he has not practiced, or his practice fails in earnestness, he will not intermit his labor.

    The doctrine of the mean Confucius 2004

  • While there is anything which he has not reflected on, or anything in what he has reflected on which he does not apprehend, he will not intermit his labor.

    The doctrine of the mean Confucius 2004

  • While there is anything which he has not discriminated or his discrimination is not clear, he will not intermit his labor.

    The doctrine of the mean Confucius 2004

  • While there is anything he has not inquired about, or anything in what he has inquired about which he does not know, he will not intermit his labor.

    The doctrine of the mean Confucius 2004

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