Intercepting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To capture or halt the movement of an item or signal before it reaches its final destination
2. The act of seizing or halting something while it is on its path before arrival
3. The process of preventing an object or message from completing its intended route

Etymology: "Intercepting" is the present participle of "intercept," which English borrowed from Latin "interceptum," the past participle of "intercipere," a verb built from "inter" ("between") and "capere" ("to take" or "seize"). The original image is literal: something is seized in the space between one point and another, cutting off its path before it arrives. The Latin verb was already used in this physical sense, for catching or cutting off something on its way, and that concrete picture carried into English. Today the word covers stopping a message, a ball, a missile, or a person in transit, always keeping the core idea of taking hold of something partway through its journey.

Synonyms: catching, seizing, blocking, stopping, diverting

Antonyms: releasing, allowing, permitting, aiding, supporting