interval

B1 Topic:Time

US /ˈɪntɚvəl/ UK /ˈɪntəvəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #19316

Meanings

1

noun
a period of time between two events.

There was a long interval between the two phone calls.
2

noun
a short break between the parts of a play, film, or concert.

We bought ice cream during the interval.
3

noun
the difference in pitch between two musical notes.

The interval between the two notes is an octave.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a period of time between... time interval

3 noun · the difference in pitch... musical interval

Word family

Forms intervals

Derived forms even-intervalhyperintervalintervaledintervalizeintervallicintervallyintervalometermidinterval

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

time interval
the amount of time between two specified moments

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Interval entered Middle English through Old French entrevalle, based on Latin intervallum, “space between ramparts” and hence “interval.” The Latin word combines inter, “between,” with vallum, “rampart.”

Etymology

From Middle English interval, intervalle, from Old French intervalle, entreval, from Latin intervallum (“space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference; literally, space between two palisades or walls”), from inter (“between”) + vallum (“palisade, wall”).

interval Middle English intervalle Old French intervallum Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Time Music Theory Theater & Performance

External links

# interval

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈɪntɚvəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɪntəvəl/
**Frequency rank:** 19316

## Meanings
1. a period of time between two events.
2. a short break between the parts of a play, film, or concert.
3. the difference in pitch between two musical notes.

## Examples
- There was a long interval between the two phone calls.
- We bought ice cream during the interval.
- The interval between the two notes is an octave.

## Derived Forms
- even-interval
- hyperinterval
- intervaled
- intervalize
- intervallic
- intervally
- intervalometer
- midinterval

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: interval
- Root: intervalle
- Root: intervallum
- Affix: inter- - between

## Etymology
From Middle English interval, intervalle, from Old French intervalle, entreval, from Latin intervallum (“space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference; literally, space between two palisades or walls”), from inter (“between”) + vallum (“palisade, wall”).

## AI Etymology
Interval comes from Middle English interval, intervalle, from Old French intervalle, entreval, from Latin intervallum (“space between, interval, distance, interval of time, pause, difference; literally, space between two palisades or walls”), from inter (“between”) + vallum (“palisade, wall”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Time
- Music Theory
- Theater & Performance

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