▪ I. interpose, v.
(ɪntəˈpəʊz)
Also 7 enter-.
[a. F. interposer (14th c. in Godef.), f. L. inter between + F. poser to place (see pose); substituted for L. interpōnĕre (see interpone) by form-association with inflexions and derivatives of the latter, as interposition, etc.; cf. compose, depose, dispose. Cf. also F. entreposer (12–13th c. in Hatz.–Darm.), in OF. to place alternately or intermixedly.]
I. 1. a. trans. To place between (in space or time); to put or set between or in an intermediate position; to cause to intervene. Often with implication of obstruction or delay; cf. 3.
| 1599 Minsheu Sp. Dict., Interpuesto, interposed, put betwixt. 1602 W. Fulbecke 1st Pt. Parall. 25 He is not bound to doe any seruice either in his owne person, or by any other person interposed during his minority. 1647 May Hist. Parl. i. viii. 89 Much time was interposed betweene the severall proceedings against this Earle of Strafferd. 1665 Hooke Microgr. 75 Darkning..a colour, is onely interposing a multitude of dark or black spots among the same ting'd parts. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 37 Only a small part of the convexity of the globe is interposed between us and the sun. 1870 Rolleston Anim. Life 129 The portions of the pseud-haemal system which were interposed between the digestive tract and the dorsal surface. |
† b. To place (things) with intervals, or in alternation, to cause to alternate. Obs.
| 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. Epit. (1612) 356 The other [wall] of Pyles and Tymber strongly and artificially interposed. 1691 Baxter Nat. Ch. xv. 72 God can..interpose days with nights, and Summers with Winters. |
c. Chess. To move (a man) so as to obstruct the line of action of an opposing piece, esp. when the latter is giving check. Also absol., or with the interposed man as subject.
| 1761 E. Hoyle Ess. Game of Chess 2, 6 B. The Queen gives Check. W. The Bishop interposes. 1765 R. Lambe Hist. Chess 107 If the B. Bp. instead of retreating, checks your K. you must interpose your Bp. 1808 J. H. Sarratt Treat. Game of Chess I. 49 If he interpose his King's Knight, you must take his Rook with your Queen. 1844 W. Lewis Treat. Game of Chess 19 Sometimes a piece or pawn, which before was out of play, may be interposed, and force the piece that checks to retire. 1861 Chambers's Encycl. II. 799/2 The king..must either move out of check or interpose some one of his subjects, unless the checking piece can be captured. 1876 Encycl. Brit. V. 593/1 If..the king, being thus in check, cannot move to another square..and there is no piece or pawn which can be interposed, and the checking piece or pawn cannot be taken, then it is ‘checkmate’. 1950 Hoyle's Games Modernized (ed. 20) 366 The player may..interpose one of his own men between the King and the attacking piece. |
2. To place or station oneself between; to come between in position, to stand in the way. † a. refl.
| 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. ii. i. 98 What watchfull Cares doe interpose themselves Betwixt your Eyes, and Night? 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 145 Two hundred of them falling into a close order, interposed themselves between them. a 1745 Swift (J.), Human frailty will too often interpose itself among persons of the holiest function. |
b. intr. (for refl.)
| 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 121 We offering to returne to the other, which he fearing, interposed. 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 161 The river Syndery interposing. 1746–7 Hervey Medit. (1818) 272 The earth interposing with its opaque body, intercepted the solar rays. 1844 H. H. Wilson Brit. India III. 69 Three columns..moved to the right, as if intending to interpose between the lines and the town. |
3. trans. To put forth or introduce (action, authority, etc.) in the way of interference or intervention.
| 1606 Holland Sueton. 13 The Senate came not betweene nor interposed their authoritie to stop the course intended against him. 1798 Mrq. Wellesley in Owen Desp. (1877) 42 Our arbitration..will be both acceptable and efficacious whenever it shall be interposed. 1822 Lamb Elia Ser. ii. Detached Th. Bks., Expecting every moment when he [the owner] shall interpose his interdict. |
4. To put oneself forward or interfere in a matter; to step in between persons at variance or in a person's behalf; to intervene. † a. refl. Obs.
| 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 29 The Patriark and other princes..seeing the danger..had interposed themselues. 1606 Holland Sueton. Annot. 36 Noble Dames, who in old time..interposed themselves as Mediatrices, betweene the Romans and Sabines. 1625 Ussher in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 133 If he interpose himself seriouslye herein. 1658 Earl of Monmouth tr. Paruta's Wars of Cyprus 28. |
b. intr.
| 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. v. iii. 119 Please you to interpose (fair Madam) Kneele, And pray your Mothers blessing. 1656 Bramhall Replic. iv. 159 It is no innovation for our Kings to interpose in ecclesiasticall affairs. 1710 Addison Tatler No. 224 ¶3, I shall not interpose in their Quarrel. 1791 Cowper Iliad vi. 19 None interposed To avert his woeful doom. 1874 Green Short Hist. ii. §7. 100 The Archbishop interposed between the rival claimants to the crown. |
5. a. trans. To introduce between other matters, or between the parts of a narrative, as an interruption or digression; to say or pronounce as an interruption.
| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. iv. §4 That all the fables and fictions of the poets were but pleasure and not figure, I interpose no opinion. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. xxxiii. 80, I shall desire leave to enterpose this parenthesis ensuing, before I proceed. a 1687 Petty Pol. Arith. iv. (1691) 65 To interpose a jocular, and perhaps ridiculous digression. 1783 Gibbon Misc. Wks. (1814) II. 265–6 The Historian, who, without interposing his own sentiments, has delivered a simple narrative of authentic facts. 1817 Moore Lalla R. (1824) 171 The Princess..was about to interpose a faint word of objection. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth xiii, ‘Do not injure an innocent man’, interposed the Prince. |
b. absol. or intr. To interrupt, make a digression.
| 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 270 Here Adam interpos'd. O sent from Heav'n, Enlightner of my darkness! a 1873 E. Deutsch Rem. (1874) 77 We must here interpose for a moment. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 185 Here Ctesippus, the lover of Cleinias, interposes in great excitement. |
II. † 6. a. trans. To come or be in the way of (a person or thing); to intercept; to obstruct. Obs.
| 1615 J. Stephens Satyr. Ess. 152 We have no liberty..to judge;..when Discontents do trouble us. They interpose our brightest eminence of wisedom no otherwise than cloudes darken the Sunnes glory. 1624 Heywood Gunaik. v. 258 All the theeves and robbers that interposed him in his way to Athens. 1671 R. Bohun Wind 278 The great Rivers interposing us, together with..many other difficulties. |
† b. To lie between (places); to part, separate.
| 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 46 Arabia felix which stretcheth out into the South sea, interposing the Persian and Arabian Gulphs. Ibid. 207 Phœnicia is a province of Syria, interposing the sea and Galily. |
Hence interˈposed ppl. a.; interˈposing vbl. n.
| 1602 Anthony Heborne in Archpriest Controv. (Camden) II. 224 Some other interposed..dealers in this business. 1626 Jackson Creed viii. ii. §5 Interposed flashes of this day starr's brightnesse. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 5 We often lose sight of them, by interposing of the waves. 1659 Milton Civ. Power Wks. (1851) 329 Those ends which he can likely pretend to the interposing of his force therin. 1730 Savery in Phil. Trans. XXXVI. 301 No interposed Body..(unless it is magnetical)..was ever known..to impede or divert any of the Effects of a Magnet. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. vi. 43 The ridges..with their interposed fissures. |
▪ II. † interpose, n. Obs. rare.
[f. prec. vb.]
Interposition, interposal.
| 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. i. 154 Countries are divided by Geographers..Naturally, according to the course of Rivers, and interpose of Mountains. 1663 J. Spencer Prodigies (1665) 117 Dangerous humors..which, without the wise interpose of State-Physicians, presage ruine to the whole. Ibid. 139 Upon the interpose of such impediments. |