▪ I. interval, n.
(ˈɪntəvəl)
Forms: α. 3 enterwal, 8 (sense 4) enterval(l. β. 4–5 intervalle, 7 -vall, 7– interval. See also intervale.
[Ultimately ad. L. intervallum, orig. ‘space between palisades or ramparts’, later ‘interval of space or of time’, f. inter between + vallum rampart. In F. the word appears as entreval, antreval (13th c.), entrevale, -valle (14–16th c.), intervalle masc. from 14th c. The earliest Eng. example represents the first of these; the 14–16th c. intervalle was evidently also immediately from F.
The appearances of the word till the beginning of the 17th c. are quite sporadic, having little or no historical connexion with each other.]
1. a. The period of time between two events, actions, etc., or between two parts of an action, performance, or sitting, two sessions of parliament, etc.; a period of cessation; a pause, break.
Often used more or less specifically of a recognized short pause in the course of some otherwise continuous action, e.g. in the course of school hours, between the parts of a musical or dramatic performance, etc. In Scotland, the ordinary name for the short space between the morning and afternoon service at church. Applied by A. Wood (c 1660–5) to the period of the Commonwealth.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 22444 (Cott.) Queþer þai [signs of Doomsday] sal hal on ran bitide, or enterwal [Edin. MS. enterwall, 13.. Gött. enter-vale] bituix þam bide. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶567 Whan the defense is doon anon withouten Interualle or with-outen tariyng or delay. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf. Manhode i. cliii. (1869) 76 With oute jnterualle alle thing enoyeth; bothe the faire weder, and thilke of reyn. 1611 Cotgr., Intervalle, an Interual, intermedium, respit, pawse or space betweene. [Not in Minsheu or Florio, in rendering intervalo, intervallo.] 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. §7 Whoever considers the Acts of power and injustice..in those intervals of Parliament. 1660 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 356 Habits much neglected in the late intervall. 1664 Ibid. 31 Dec II. 26 John Hall..bred in the interval; a presbyterian. 1667 Pepys Diary 12 Aug., I..talked to them all the intervals of the play. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. iii. 389 So matters were most in his hands during the intervals of Parliament. 1853 C. Brontë Villette xvi, In the interval, between the two acts, I ‘fell on sleep’. 1871 Black Daughter of Heth (1872) 36 After the ‘interval’, as it was technically called, they had to go to church again. |
b. spec. The space of time intervening between the beginning of one febrile paroxysm and that of the ensuing one (
Syd. Soc. Lex.), or between any fits or periods of disease.
lucid interval: see
lucid.
| 1634 W. Tirwhyt tr. Balzac's Lett. (vol. I) 70 The interuals or good dayes of a Tertian Ague. 1713 Swift Frenzy J. Denny Wks. 1755 III. i. 142 If the patient on the third day have an interval. 1771 Wesley Serm. ii. div. i. §9 Even this poor wretch, in his sober intervals, is able to testify, Oderunt peccare boni. 1887 in Syd. Soc. Lex. |
2. a. The space of time intervening between two points of time; any intervening time. Formerly often
interval of time.
| 1616 Bullokar, Interuall, a distance of time or place. 1664 Power Exp. Philos. i. 62 In all which interval of time, there is a palpable and sensible heat produced. 1676 I. Mather K. Philip's War (1862) 113 In this interval of time, the town of Mendam..was burnt down by the Indians. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T. (1816) I. 240 There was no interval of time between his receiving the vase and his putting it into the fire. 1809 A. Henry Trav. 2 The surrender of Montreal..followed that of Fort de Levi, at only the short interval of three days. 1847 Grote Greece ii. xlvii. (1862) IV. 155 An interval of more than sixty years. 1883 C. J. Wills Mod. Persia 159 After a decorous interval the bishop enters. |
b. Phr.
at († by) intervals, now and again, not continuously. Also
† by intervals, alternately.
| 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. I iij, Yat..ye cowrse of ye moone may haiff by interualles now 29. now 30. dayes. 1744 A. Dobbs Hudson's Bay 12 The Month of February was variable..at Intervals warm, and then sharp Weather. 1760 Washington Writ. (1889) II. 153 The Rain continued by intervals through the night. 1835 Poe Adv. Hans Pfaall Wks. 1864 I. 10 A drizzling rain falling at intervals. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xi. 85 In spite of cold and hard boards, I slept at intervals. |
c. Physics. A quantity
ds, invariant under the Lorentz transformation, that represents the separation of two events in space-time and is defined by
ds2 = dx2 +
dy2 +
dz2 -
c2dt2 (or by the negative of the right-hand side), where
dx,
dy,
dz, and
dt are the differences in the space and time coordinates of the events and
c is the speed of light.
| 1918 A. S. Eddington Rep. Relativity Theory Gravitation ii. 15 In the four-dimensional continuum the interval δs between two point-events..is unaffected by any rotation of the axes, and is therefore invariant for all observers. 1929 W. C. D. Whetham Hist. Sci. ix. 422 Just as the distance between two points in the continuous space of Euclidean geometry is the same however measured, so, in the new continuum of space-time, two events may be said to be separated by an ‘interval’, involving both space and time. 1952 C. M{obar}ller Theory of Relativity iv. 99 This expression for the line element or the interval defines the geometry in (3 + 1)-space. 1959 J. Aharoni Special Theory of Relativity i. 25 When the interval is time-like it is always possible to find a system of coordinates in which the events appear in the same place. |
3. a. An open space lying between two things or two parts of the same thing; a gap, opening. Also, an intervening portion
of something.
| 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. xxiv. 73 The interualle or dystance that ought for to be betwix euery rowe. 1656 tr. Hobbes' Elem. Philos. Wks. 1839 I. 178 There cannot be more than one least interval or length between the same points. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 105 Now 'Twixt Host and Host but narrow space was left, A dreadful interval. 1717 De Foe Hist. Ch. Scot. ii. 49 He was driven back..by half the Number of the Scots Cavalry, with Musketeers in their Intervals. 1791 W. Bartram Travels 316 One continued rapid, with some short intervals of still water. 1833 Regul. Instr. Cavalry i. 10 Open Interval is taken by each recruit stretching out his right arm so as to touch the shoulder of his right hand man, and keeping that distance from him. 1837 Brewster Magnet. 361 The intervals which separate the ultimate atoms of material bodies. |
b. Phr.
at intervals, here and there; at some distance from each other.
| 1812 Brackenridge Views Louisiana (1814) 91 These villages..are situated at intervals along the river. 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales I. 288 The spearsmen took their posts at intervals in the shallows. |
4. In N. America:
= intervale 3.
| 1684 in Hudson Hist. Sudbury (1889) 66 All the lands within said bounds of hills, vallies, planes, intervalls, meadows, swamps. 1725 S. Willard Jrnl. in Appalachia (Boston, 1881) II. 343 This morning we came on some Entervalls and plain land. Ibid., A still stream..with plenty of Enterval, and old planting land of y⊇ Indians. 1784 J. Belknap in B. Papers (1877) II. 181 The intervals are excellent, and the uplands very good. 1843 Prescott Mexico i. v. (1864) 42 A natural opening in the forest, or a rich strip of interval. a 1862 Thoreau Yankee in Canada i. (1866) 4 A remarkably large and level interval like the bed of a lake. |
5. Mus. The difference of pitch between two musical sounds or notes, either successive (in melody) or simultaneous (in harmony).
| 1609 Douland Ornith. Microl. 17 An Interuall..is the distance of a base and high sound. Ibid., The vsuall Interuals are in number 9. 1676 tr. Guillatiere's Voy. Athens 308 At a distance that agreed exactly with the intervals and modulation of the Musick. 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca v. xxiii. 534 In music the Greeks distinguished sounds, intervals, concords [etc.]. 1855 Bain Senses & Int. ii. ii. §8 Although in music no less intervals than a semitone are admitted, the ear can distinguish still smaller differences. |
6. fig. Distance between persons in respect of position, endowments, beliefs, etc., or between things in respect of their qualities.
| 1839 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 186 The interval between the Episcopalian and the Presbyterian seemed to vanish, when compared with the interval which separated both from the Papist. Ibid. ix. II. 450 The interval was immense between discontent and rebellion. 1855 Bain Senses & Int. ii. ii. §19 (1864) 144 From turtle to stale oat-cakes, or a piece of black bread, what a mighty interval! |
7. Math. a. A range between one number and another;
spec. that between successive values of the argument in a mathematical table.
| 1838 Penny Cycl. XII. 508/2 The smaller the tabular interval, the more correctly will a given number of differences serve to make the interpolation. 1911 Encycl. Brit. XIX. 862/2 The actual calculation of the number of primes in a given interval may be effected by a formula constructed and used by D. F. E. Meissel. 1928 [see interpolate v. 6]. 1946 Nature 12 Oct. 504/1 The basic sequence is the integration procedure for one interval of the integration, which is a sequence of operations starting from the initial values for that interval and giving final values which become the initial values for the next interval. 1968 Fox & Mayers Computing Methods for Scientists & Engineers i. 8 If 1·5 {slle} x {slle} 2·5, then y = x10 is in the approximate interval 57·6 {slle} y {slle} 9536·7. 1974 Nature 26 Apr. 739/1 The grain temperature..is determined by the emissivity between 4 and 15 µm. We have carried out calculations..over this spectral interval. |
b. A set composed of all the numbers between two given numbers, which may be either included in the set (a
closed interval) or excluded (an
open interval); an analogously defined subset of any partially ordered set.
The distinction made in
quot. 1949 is not usual.
| 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVIII. 545/2 This domain may be an ‘interval’, i.e., it may consist of two terminal numbers, all the numbers between them and no others. 1949 S. Lefschetz Introd. Topology i. 27 If the real line L is parameterized by means of a parameter u, then an interval is a set: a < u < b, and a segment is a set a {slle} u {slle} b, a < b. 1962 B. H. Arnold Intuitive Concepts Elem. Topology viii. 164 It is easy to see that a set A ⊂ R is an interval if and only if it contains all points which lie between any two of its members. 1965 A. Abian Theory of Sets iv. 184 Let (P, ≤) be a partially ordered set. For every two elements a and b of P, the set of all elements of P such that a ≤ x ≤ b is called a closed interval and is denoted by [a, b], and the set of all elements x of P such that a < x < b is called an open interval and is denoted by (a, b). |
8. attrib. and
Comb., as (sense 1)
interval issue,
interval man,
interval music,
interval prose,
interval time,
interval way; (sense 3)
interval distance; (sense 4)
interval land.
interval running, in
Athletics, a method of training by running set distances at pre-determined speeds (
opp. fartlek); so
interval training;
interval signal Broadcasting (see
quot. 1941).
| 1796 Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1813) 143 In open column the leading division of each squadron preserves the interval distance from the one before. |
| 1652 Benlowes Theoph. Pref., In reviewing these Intervall Issues of spiritual Recreation. |
| 1683 in Temple & Sheldon Hist. Northfield (1875) 95 That every person that has 60 acres granted of interval land, shall settle two inhabitants upon it. 1771 J. Adams Diary 7 June, Wks. 1850 II. 271 The road is three quarters of a mile from the river, and the interval land lies between. 1805 Lady Hunter in Sir. M. Hunter's Journ. (1894) 223 Except an island..and the interval lands, the rest is very bad land. |
| 1660 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 356 To encourage others, especially the intervall men..and make the intervall way..neglected and ridiculous..just antipodes to the intervall time. |
| 1951 Catal. of Exhibits, South Bank Exhib., Festival of Britain 176 Recordings for Interval Music. 1967 Daily Tel. 12 May 20/6 The unchanging interval-music. 1970 Listener 8 Jan. 60/2 The material..provided interval prose of just the right emotional tone between two parts of a good concert. |
| 1957 Oxf. Pocket Bk. Athletic Training (ed. 2) 22 Interval running,..a series of runs over a particular distance each in a certain time..linked up by jogging between each. |
| 1932 B.B.C. Year Bk. 373 The sudden failure of the programme..is likely to cause the listener to think his set has become faulty. The radiation of the interval signal relieves all anxieties on this account. 1941 B.B.C. Gloss. Broadcasting Terms 16 Interval Signal, particular sequence of sounds used by a broadcasting organization to fill short intervals between programmes, and to enable listeners to identify its transmissions. |
| 1660 Interval time [see interval man above]. |
| 1962 Times 9 Apr. 5/7 Oxford's application of interval training, on the other hand, may have been at fault. |
| 1660 Interval way [see interval man above]. |
▪ II. interval, v. rare.
(
ˈɪntəvəl)
[f. prec. n.] † 1. intr. a. To come between or in an interval.
b. To form an interval: in
ˈintervalling ppl. a.| 1630 James Ratray in J. Taylor's (Water P.) Wks. 245 If clouds doe interuall, Apolloes face Is but a figur'd shape. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi. 254 This Lake is foure score miles in length, and according to its intervalling Circuite, sometimes two..or five miles in breadth. Ibid. 255 To drowne their situations and intervalling plaines with water. |
2. trans. (in pass.) † a. To separate by an interval (
obs.).
† b. To administer at intervals (
obs.).
c. To break or interrupt at intervals. Hence
ˈinterval(l)ed ppl. a.| 1659 D. Pell Impr. Sea Proœm. C, England wants not..intercourse with various..Nations, how far intervall'd soever. 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. To Rdr. 10 The sharp acid Cathartick of Sal Mirabile..being occasionally premis'd or intervall'd. 1883 Ruskin Fors Clav. VIII. xcii. 208 A march of infinite light..intervaled indeed with eddies of shadow. 1899 Daily News 10 Mar. 5/5 To harass the Sirdar's long intervalled line of outposts on the Nile. |