INTERMITTENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does intermittent mean? 

• INTERMITTENT (adjective)
  The adjective INTERMITTENT has 1 sense:

1. stopping and starting at irregular intervals

  Familiarity information: INTERMITTENT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INTERMITTENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Stopping and starting at irregular intervals

Context example:

intermittent rain showers

Similar:

sporadic (recurring in scattered and irregular or unpredictable instances)

Derivation:

intermittence; intermittency (the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping)

 Context examples 

The disease is divided into classic, intermediate, intermittent, and thiamine responsive subtypes.

(Maple Syrup Urine Disease, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

Care over an extended period, usually for a chronic condition or disability, requiring periodic, intermittent, or continuous care.

(Long-Term Care for Elderly, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

There may be intermittent abdominal discomfort, splenomegaly, and slight jaundice.

(Hemoglobin C Disease, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

It is caused by the intermittent relaxation of pharyngeal muscles leading to the narrowing or complete blockage of the upper airway.

(Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Dialysis fluid being introduced into and removed from the peritoneal cavity as either a continuous or an intermittent procedure.

(Peritoneal Dialysis, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The approach site might be mouth, but from a route code perspective, this could include: swallow, oral rinse, oral topical application, chew, oral dissolve, oral inhalation (via intermittent flow or rebreather mask).

(Performed Substance Administration Route Of Administration Code, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)

As for the latter's sailing, it was so wild and intermittent, and she hung each time so long in irons, that she certainly gained nothing, if she did not even lose.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Many people with chronic cancer-related pain experience intermittent flares of pain that can occur even though a person is taking analgesic medications on a fixed schedule for pain control.

(Breakthrough pain, NCI Thesaurus)

The study indicates that whatever process is responsible, the restoration of Titan's methane is localized and intermittent.

(Ocean on Saturn moon could be as salty as the Dead Sea, NASA)

EXAMPLE(S): intermittent, continuous, single event

(Adverse Event Occurrence Pattern Code, NCI Thesaurus/BRIDG)