{
    "term": "interval",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "academic": true,
    "ox5000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a period of time between two events",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The interval between major earthquakes might be 200 years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He knocked on the door and after a brief interval it was opened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Polling day was a week away and Baldwin made two speeches in the interval."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They will be interviewed again after an appropriate time interval has elapsed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Try setting your automatic email checker to 30-minute intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You are advised to leave a wide interval before you have your next child."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the amount of oxygen used by the muscles during a specified interval"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She ruled for ten years, except for a brief interval."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["brief", "short", "long"],
                "preposition": ["at intervals", "in the interval", "interval between"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at fixed, periodic, regular, etc. intervals",
                    "at irregular intervals",
                    "at random intervals"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a short period of time separating parts of a play, film or concert",
            "labels": "(British English)North American English, British English",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "There will be an interval of 20 minutes after the second act."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Film and theatre"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["brief", "short", "long"],
                "preposition": ["at intervals", "in the interval", "interval between"],
                "phrases": [
                    "at fixed, periodic, regular, etc. intervals",
                    "at irregular intervals",
                    "at random intervals"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "a short period during which something different happens from what is happening the rest of the time",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She's delirious, but has lucid intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The day should be mainly dry with sunny intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The intervals between his various illnesses grew shorter and shorter."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a difference in pitch (= how high or low a note sounds) between two notes",
            "labels": "(music)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "an interval of one octave"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Music"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "an activity in interval training",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You can do intervals by alternating power walking with easy jogging."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Health and Fitness", "Sports: other sports"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "with time between",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Buses to the city leave **at regular intervals**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The runners started at 5-minute intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "At intervals a bell rang."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He returned home during the day at regular intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Meetings are held at monthly intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The accounts were updated at irregular intervals."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Trains run at fixed intervals."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "with spaces between",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Flaming torches were positioned at intervals along the terrace."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The flags were spaced at two-metre intervals."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪntəvl/",
                "audio": "in/interval/interval__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈɪntərvl/",
                "audio": "in/interval/interval__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French entrevalle, based on Latin intervallum ‘space between ramparts, interval’, from inter- ‘between’ + vallum ‘rampart’."
}