intercept — English Dictionary

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Language

intercept

Pronunciations (6)

Verb

To stop, deflect or divert (something in progress or motion).
Usage
- Transitive
Examples

The police intercepted the package of stolen goods while it was in transit.

[T]he emotion grew ſo violent that it almost intercepted my reſpiration.

More examples (2)

The rights of men in ſociety, are neither deviſeable, nor transferable, nor annihilable, but are deſcendable only; and it is not in the power of any generation to intercept finally, and cut off the deſcent.

I must admit to being genuinely shocked when I saw those letters in my file. I always suspected that mail was monitored, but it never occurred to me that mail would be intercepted and opened.
To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game.
Usage
- Transitive
To gain possession of (the ball) in a ball game. Of a defensive player: to steal a pass thrown by the opposing team, gaining possession of the ball.
Usage
- Transitive
To take or comprehend between.
Usage
- Transitive
To perform an aeronautical action in which a fighter approaches a suspicious aircraft to escort it away from a prohibited area, or approaches an enemy aircraft to shoot it down.

An interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call.
An interception of a missile.
The coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis.

Examples

the y intercept

Because the horizontal-axis intercept occurs when y=0 and the vertical-axis intercept occurs when x=0, we can find the intercepts algebraically.
A form of market research where consumers are intercepted and interviewed in a retail store or mall.

Word forms

interceptsinterceptinginterceptedinterceptedinterceptedinterceptestinterceptedinterceptedstinterceptethinterceptedinterceptedinterceptedintercepts