INTERVAL


Meaning of INTERVAL in English

I. ˈintə(r)vəl noun

( -s )

Etymology: Middle English intervalle, from Middle French, from Latin intervallum space between ramparts, interval, from inter- + vallum rampart — more at wall

1.

a. : a space of time between the recurrences of similar conditions or states : pause

interval between coughing spells

intervals of sanity

interval of thousands of years between glaciations

b. Britain : intermission

c. : the time between two events or points of time

firing at intervals of ten minutes

interval between a lightning flash and the following thunder

d. : a portion of the total time cycle of a traffic signal during which the signal indications do not change

2.

a. : a space between things : empty space between objects

posts set up at regular intervals along the road

buildings placed at wide intervals

b.

(1) : the space between elements in military formation in the direction of width — contrasted with distance

(2) : the distance between the foremasts of the guides of adjacent units in a compound naval formation

c. : the relative difference in pitch between two simultaneous or successive notes or tones

3. : something that breaks or interrupts a uniform series or surface : an intervening part

grazing land with brief intervals of forest

the road follows a winding course except for a few straight intervals

4. chiefly New England : bottom 6

5.

a. : the totality of numbers belonging to a given set of real numbers

b. : the totality of such numbers between the either including or excluding one or both of two end numbers of the set

c. : the totality of such numbers greater or less than and either including or excluding one of the numbers of the set

d. : a set of points on a line segment that represents one of these totalities

6. : a gap between different qualities or states that may be ideally filled with intervening grades

interval between savagery and culture

interval between landlord and tenant, master and servant, was less — T.B.Macaulay

Synonyms: see break

II. noun

: one of a series of fast-paced exercises interspersed with slower ones or brief rests for training (as of an athlete)

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.