intersperse

verb

in·​ter·​sperse ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 

interspersed; interspersing

transitive verb

1

: to insert at intervals among other things

interspersing drawings throughout the text

2

: to place something at intervals in or among

intersperse a book with pictures

interspersion

ˌin-tər-ˈspər-zhən 

-shən

noun

Did you know?

Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.

Synonyms

• interlace
• interweave
• lace
• salt
• thread
• weave
• wreathe

Examples of intersperse in a Sentence

You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.

Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.

Recent Examples on the Web

The voluminous open cuff intersperses polished gold with negative space, encapsulating the 2024 trend for bold, sculptural jewelry. —Sarah Royce-Greensill, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024

Sugar is a big film buff(*), particularly of the kind of Forties and Fifties noirs that the series is informed by, so his travels through modern-day Los Angeles are frequently interspersed with clips from Double Indemnity, Night of the Hunter, Kiss Me Deadly, Sweet Smell of Success, and more. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 5 Apr. 2024

Patel also intersperses blink-and-you’ll-miss-them POV shots, further aligning us with the Kid’s experience and adding to the dizzying, hallucinatory effect of some of these fights. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Ye’s radicalization, which takes root at a mysterious military base, is interspersed as flashbacks throughout the eight-part season’s early episodes. —Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024

This includes mosaic planting, whereby eucalyptus planting is interspersed with areas of native vegetation. —Angelica Mari, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

This spirit even extends to the bathrooms, where the walls have bright colors interspersed with text from Winnie the Pooh books. —Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2024

Tech lawsuits are often obscure even to techies, interspersed with bizarre software terminology that is pretty much meaningless outside of a court of law. —Sarah Jeong, The Verge, 22 Mar. 2024

Only a year ago the little gray and yellow house on 35th Place was nestled among similar early 20th century homes interspersed with a few postwar apartments. —Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin interspersus interspersed, from inter- + sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter — more at spark

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

intersperse

verb

in·​ter·​sperse ˌint-ər-ˈspərs 

interspersed; interspersing

1

: to set here and there among other things

intersperse pictures in a book

2

: to vary with things inserted here and there

interspersed the photo album with her poetry

interspersion

-ˈspər-zhən 

noun