intercalate
intercalate — verb
- intercalatepresent simple I / you / we / they
- intercalates3rd person singular
- intercalating-ing form
- intercalatedpast simple
1. to place something in the gap between things that are already there, such as lay
to place something in the gap between things that are already there, such as layers, sheets, or items in a series.
The bookbinder intercalated a sheet of tissue paper between each printed page.
intercalate + object + between two layers
Beatrix intercalated several rest days between her hardest training sessions.
Geologists found a thin layer of ash intercalated between two beds of sandstone.
Faisal intercalated a folding map between the two chapters of his guidebook.
In the museum display, curators intercalated old photographs among the wartime letters.
- insert
everyday neutral term; intercalate is formal and academic
- interleave
specifically alternating sheets or layers in a regular pattern
- interpose
usually of remarks or obstacles, often implying interruption
- remove
take out rather than slip in
文法句型
intercalate + object + between + noun
intercalate + object + among + noun
用法筆記
Object is usually something thin or discrete — a layer, sheet, page, or item — slipped into a clearly bounded gap. Takes 'between' for two boundaries and 'among' for several.
常見錯誤
2. to add an extra day or month to a calendar so that it stays matched to the seaso
to add an extra day or month to a calendar so that it stays matched to the seasons and the sun's yearly cycle.
Ancient Roman priests intercalated a whole extra month so the calendar matched the seasons.
intercalate + time unit + to fix a calendar
Every few years, the old lunar calendar intercalated a thirteenth month to catch up with the sun.
Christopher explained how the Hebrew calendar intercalates a leap month seven times in nineteen years.
Astronomers intercalate a single leap day into February to match the Earth's orbit.
The festival was delayed because the priests had intercalated an extra day that year.
- insert
general term; loses the time-keeping nuance
文法句型
intercalate + time unit + into/in + calendar
用法筆記
Restricted to time-keeping: the object must be a calendar unit such as a day or month, and the aim is keeping the calendar in step with the solar or lunar cycle. Distinguish from sense 1, which is not limited to calendars.