interval
interval — noun
1. the period of time that passes from the end of one event to the beginning of the
the period of time that passes from the end of one event to the beginning of the next one
A long interval passed between Mira's phone call and the delivery van's arrival.
collocation: long interval / short interval / brief interval
Imran filled the short interval between his jog and his shower with gentle stretches.
Lien rested her eyes during the brief interval before the next class started.
The interval between the two earthquakes measured roughly six months.
- gap
less formal and can refer to an unintended or accidental space; 'interval' implies a measured or planned period
- pause
shorter and suggests a temporary stop in the middle of something, not necessarily between two distinct events
- break
more informal and often implies rest or recreation, while 'interval' is more neutral
文法句型
interval between [noun] and [noun]
用法筆記
Countable but most often used in singular form. The plural is more common in sense 3 (at intervals).
常見錯誤
2. the physical distance or space that separates one object or point from another
the physical distance or space that separates one object or point from another
Tunde measured the interval between each fence post before driving them into the ground.
collocation: narrow interval / wide interval
The narrow interval between the two bookshelves was too small for the armchair.
Zayd left a generous interval between his car and the next one in the lot.
The builder left an interval of two metres between each window frame.
文法句型
interval between [noun] and [noun]
常見錯誤
3. happening repeatedly with a regular amount of time or distance separating each i
happening repeatedly with a regular amount of time or distance separating each instance from the next
The guard checked the laboratory doors at regular intervals throughout the night.
phrase: at regular intervals
Eri heard a tapping sound at intervals of about ten seconds from the roof.
The bus to the station stops at short intervals during the morning rush hour.
Small white markers stood at intervals along the edge of the hiking trail.
- regularly
adverb covering the same idea; more direct but less precise about the periodic nature
- periodically
more formal and implies a fixed cycle; 'at intervals' allows for roughly regular spacing
文法句型
at intervals
at regular intervals
at intervals of [number] [unit]
用法筆記
Almost always appears as the plural noun in the fixed phrase 'at intervals'. The singular is never used in this pattern. 'At regular intervals' and 'at frequent intervals' are the most common collocations.
常見錯誤
4. a short break in the middle of a play, concert, film, or sports match, during wh
a short break in the middle of a play, concert, film, or sports match, during which the audience can rest or get refreshments
Christopher bought a drink and chatted with friends during the interval of the play.
phrase: during the interval
Most of the audience went to the lobby for a drink during the interval.
Chiara and her classmates discussed the play during the short interval.
The theatre bar was crowded with people during the interval of the evening show.
- intermission
the American English equivalent; also used for sports events in both varieties
- break
more general and informal; does not specifically mean the middle of a performance
- half-time
specific to sports events, especially football and rugby
文法句型
during the interval
in the interval
用法筆記
Chiefly British usage. In American English, 'intermission' is the preferred term for the break in a performance or sports event. In British English, 'interval' is standard for theatre, cinema, and concerts.
常見錯誤
5. how much higher or lower one musical note sounds compared to another, measured a
how much higher or lower one musical note sounds compared to another, measured as a specific step on the scale
Eli practiced singing the interval of a fifth until his voice hit both notes cleanly.
collocation: interval of a fifth / third / octave
The music teacher asked Faisal to identify the interval between the two piano notes.
Isabela learned that a major third sounds bright, while a minor third feels sadder.
The cellist practiced the interval from low C to the G above it for an hour.
- step
more informal and used in basic music instruction, especially for adjacent notes on a scale
- pitch difference
descriptive rather than a standard term; not used by musicians as a label
文法句型
interval of a [type]
[type] interval
用法筆記
Musical intervals are named by their size (e.g. second, third, fifth, octave) and quality (e.g. major, minor, perfect, diminished, augmented). The word 'interval' is often omitted when the type name is clear, e.g. 'sing a fifth' rather than 'sing the interval of a fifth'.
常見錯誤
6. one short, high-effort burst of physical activity that is part of a training pla
one short, high-effort burst of physical activity that is part of a training plan, with periods of rest or easier movement in between
Arjun ran five fast intervals on the track, each followed by a minute of slow jogging.
collocation: [number] intervals of [distance/duration]
Mira added short high-intensity intervals to her cycling routine to build speed.
The coach had the swimmers do eight intervals of fifty metres with short rests.
Each swimming interval lasted forty-five seconds, followed by fifteen seconds of rest.
文法句型
[number] intervals of [duration]
high-intensity interval
用法筆記
In fitness contexts, 'intervals' is often used without 'training' to mean the intense segments themselves. The term appears most frequently in the plural because a session typically involves several repetitions. 'High-intensity interval training' (HIIT) is the standard name for this method.
常見錯誤
7. in mathematics, the group of all real numbers that lie between a lower limit and
in mathematics, the group of all real numbers that lie between a lower limit and an upper limit, sometimes including either or both of those limits
The problem asked Tunde to find all integers within the interval from two to eight.
collocation: interval from [number] to [number]
The teacher asked the class to graph the function over the interval from one to five.
A closed interval includes both of its endpoints, but an open interval does not.
The function is defined over the interval from zero to four on the x-axis.
文法句型
interval from [number] to [number]
open interval
closed interval
用法筆記
Notation: square brackets [ ] mean the endpoint is included (closed interval), round brackets ( ) mean it is excluded (open interval). This notation is used consistently in mathematics worldwide. 'Interval' in this sense is always countable and usually singular.