Interleaved

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Composed of elements that are placed in alternating or overlapping patterns
2. Characterized by the practice of mixing various items within one another in a systematic manner
3. Built by placing parts so they alternate or intertwine in a regular pattern

Etymology: "Interleaved" is the past form of "interleave," a verb built in English from two parts: the prefix "inter-", meaning "between" or "among," and the verb "leave" in its older sense of "to put leaves in" or "to lay something in between." In the sense the adjective carries here, the idea is of one thing set between the layers of another, as in pages inserted between the sheets of a book or threads passed between the strands of a fabric. The prefix "inter-" comes from Latin, where it meant "between," and it appears in many English words such as "intervene" and "interject." Pairing it with "leave" produced a compound whose parts are both plainly English, so the word needed no foreign import. Its literal sense, placing things between others, is still visible in its use today.

Synonyms: interwoven, interspersed, alternating

Antonyms: separated, disconnected