Sunday, December 03, 2017

Merriam-Webster - Word of the Day; "Intersperse"

 
 
Merriam-Webster  
 
WORD OF THE DAY
December 2, 2017
 
 
 
 
 
intersperse Audio pronunciation
 
verb | in-ter-SPERSS  
 
Definition
 
:
to place something at intervals in or among
 
:
to insert at intervals among other things
 
Scroll down for more about intersperse
 
 
 
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Did You Know?
 
Intersperse derives from Latin interspersus, formed by combining the familiar prefix inter- ("between or among") with sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." In sparsus one finds an ancestor to our adjective sparse, as well as a relative of spark. (The relationship of spark to a word that describes something being scattered about makes sense when you think of sparks bursting or scattering off a flame.) Intersperse is often followed by the preposition with, as in "a straggling street of comfortable white and red houses, interspersed with abundant shady trees" (from H. G.  Wells' 1898 novel, The War of the Worlds).
 
 
Examples of INTERSPERSE
 
The author has interspersed the guidebook with illustrations of the different birds we might encounter on the safari tour.
 
"Interspersed throughout the beds of deliberately overgrown azaleas, roses, and hydrangeas is the world's largest private collection of sculptures….
Harper's, 18 Apr. 2017
 
Word Family Quiz
 
What verb derives from Latin spargere ("to scatter") and can mean "to sprinkle with holy water" or "to attack with false charges"?
 
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