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Webster 1913 Edition


Intervene

Inˊter-vene′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Intervened
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Intervening
.]
[L.
intervenire
,
interventum
, to intervene, to hinder;
inter
between +
venire
to come; akin to E.
come
: cf. F.
intervenir
. See
Come
.]
1.
To come between, or to be between, persons or things; – followed by between;
as, the Mediterranean
intervenes
between Europe and Africa
.
2.
To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events;
as, an instant
intervened
between the flash and the report; nothing
intervened
( i. e., between the intention and the execution) to prevent the undertaking.
3.
To interpose;
as, to
intervene
to settle a quarrel
.
4.
In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one’s interest in the subject matter.
Abbott.

Inˊter-vene′

,
Verb.
T.
To come between.
[R.]
Self-sown woodlands of birch, alder, etc.,
intervening
the different estates.
De Quincey.

Inˊter-vene′

,
Noun.
A coming between; intervention; meeting.
[Obs.]
Sir H. Wotton.

Webster 1828 Edition


Intervene

INTERVE'NE

,
Verb.
I.
[L. intervenio; inter and venio, to come.]
1.
To come or be between persons or things; to be situated between. Thus the Atlantic intervenes between Europe and America; the Mediterranean intervenes between Europe and Africa.
2.
To come between points or time or events; as the period that intervened between the treaty of Ryswick and the treaty of Utrecht.
3.
To happen in a way to disturb, cross or interrupt. Events may intervene to frustrate our purposes or wishes.
4.
To interpose or undertake voluntarily for another. A third party may intervene and accept a bill of exchange for another.

INTERVE'NE

,
Noun.
A coming between. [Not used.]

Definition 2024


intervene

intervene

English

Verb

intervene (third-person singular simple present intervenes, present participle intervening, simple past and past participle intervened)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To come between, or to be between, persons or things.
    The Mediterranean intervenes between Europe and Africa.
    • De Quincey
      self-sown woodlands of birch, alder, etc., intervening the different estates
  2. (intransitive) To occur, fall, or come between, points of time, or events; as, an instant intervened between the flash and the report; nothing intervened (i.e. between the intention and the execution) to prevent the undertaking.
  3. (intransitive) To interpose; as, to intervene to settle a quarrel; get involved, so as to alter or hinder an action
  4. (law) In a suit to which one has not been made a party, to put forward a defense of one's interest in the subject matter.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Abbott to this entry?)

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