Intermits

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To pause or cease action for a short time and then start again without ending completely
2. To temporarily halt activity before continuing in an irregular or intermittent way
3. To break off and resume repeatedly, causing an irregular pattern of stoppage and continuation

Etymology: "Intermits" is the third-person singular form of "intermit," so the verb itself is the subject here. It comes from Latin "intermittere," built from "inter-," meaning "between" or "among," and "mittere," meaning "to send," "let go," or "put." The literal sense is something like "to put in between" or "to send a gap through," which maps neatly onto the modern idea of an action that is interrupted by pauses. English took the verb directly from Latin, and its meaning stayed close to the original: a process is sent into a break and then resumes. The same Latin root gave English "missile," "mission," and "emit," all rooted in sending or releasing something outward. "Intermit" keeps that sense of release, only with the release happening in stages, with gaps between.

Synonyms: pauses, ceases

Antonyms: continues, persists