See Also: P-A interval(medicine)
P-Q interval(medicine)
P-R interval(medicine)
Q-R interval(medicine)
Q-RB interval(medicine)
Q-S2 interval(medicine)
Q-T interval(medicine)
R-R interval(medicine)
interval(1)(dictionary)
qrs interval(medicine)

interval(1) (iou)



interval noun. . ME.
[Old French entreval(e), -valle (mod. intervalle) ult. from Latin intervallum orig. = space between ramparts, formed as INTER- 2 + vallum rampart. Var. in sense 5 by assoc. with VALE noun2.]
The period of time between two events, actions, parts of an action, etc.; a pause; spec. a break in a theatre etc. performance. ME.
R. Ellmann He was bored at times, during intervals between visits of friends.
b. spec. The period between recurrences of a disease or condition, esp. an intermittent fever. Now rare or obsolete. M17.
An open space between two things or two parts of the same thing; a gap, an opening. LME.
The space of time intervening between two points of time; an intervening time. Orig. in by intervals below. L16.
W. S. Churchill The interval of twelve years had been filled by events without name or sanction.
b. Physics. A quantity, invariant under the Lorentz transformation, that represents the separation of two events in space-time. E20.
Music. The difference of pitch between two sounds, in melody or harmony. E17.
A. Koestler Attunement of the strings to the intervals in the scale.
A low level tract of land, esp. along a river. M17.
The distance between persons or things in respect of position, qualities, etc. M19.
A. Bain From turtle to stale oat-cakes, or a piece of black bread, what a mighty interval!
Math. A range between one numerical value and another; spec. a set composed of all the numbers between two given numbers, or an analogously defined subset of any partially ordered set. M19.
Phrases: at intervals (a) now and again, not continuously; (b) here and there. at short intervals: see SHORT adjective. by intervals (a) = at intervals (a) above; (b) alternately. closed interval Math.: including the terminal numbers. compound interval: see COMPOUND adjective. open interval Math.: excluding the terminal numbers. simple interval: see SIMPLE adjective.
Comb.: interval signal: indicating continuity of transmission during a short break in a broadcast programme; interval training Athletics: in which a runner alternately runs and jogs over set distances (cf. REPETITION training).
inter'vallary adjective (rare) = intervallic M19.
inter'vallic adjective of or pertaining to an interval or intervals M19.