intersperse

[in-ter-spurs]

verb (used with object), in·ter·spersed, in·ter·spers·ing.

to scatter here and there or place at intervals among other things: to intersperse flowers among shrubs.
to diversify with something placed or scattered at intervals: to intersperse a dull speech with interesting anecdotes.

Origin of intersperse

1560–70; < Latin interspersus (past participle of interspergere to strew here and there), equivalent to inter- inter- + -spersus, combining form of sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter; see disperse

Related formsin·ter·spers·ed·ly

[in-ter-spur-sid-lee] /ˌɪn tərˈspɜr sɪd li/, adverbin·ter·sper·sion

[in-ter-spur-zhuh n or, esp. British, -shuh n] /ˌɪn tərˈspɜr ʒən or, esp. British, -ʃən/, in·ter·sper·sal, nounun·in·ter·spersed, adjective

Synonyms

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

1. strew, sprinkle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for interspersed

Contemporary Examples

There are no calorie counts for the parade of nutritional horribles (interspersed with a little fruit).
Frozen-Yogurt Shops Are Everywhere, but We Are Nowhere Near Saturation
Daniel Gross
July 19, 2013
Locals in sweatpants were interspersed among the band of revelers.
The Renegade Parade: New York City’s Halloween Party Survives
Lizzie Crocker, Caitlin Dickson
November 1, 2012
References to holy war are interspersed with exhortations to charity, kindness toward others, and respect for life.
The Politics of Muslim Rage
Justin Green
October 1, 2012
On dark nights, Gershon would take the stage and perform songs, interspersed with the Cleo story.
Gina Gershon on ‘Killer Joe,’ Tom Cruise, ‘Showgirls,’ ‘Bound’
Ramin Setoodeh
July 18, 2012
Interspersed are the occasional illustration, piece of sheet music, or recipe.
South African Style and Substance
Paul Laster
June 28, 2010

Historical Examples

"Fact" questions and topical discussions should be interspersed.
College Teaching
Paul Klapper
These operations were interspersed with plowing and threshing.
Rural Life and the Rural School
Joseph Kennedy
As for the table, all I see is a general whiteness, interspersed with objects.
Power of Mental Imagery
Warren Hilton
But his speech was interspersed with stronger language than that.
Sarah's School Friend
May Baldwin
Magnificent forests were interspersed with broad and green prairies.
The Adventures of the Chevalier De La Salle and His Companions, in Their Explorations of the Prairies, Forests, Lakes, and Rivers, of the New World, and Their Interviews with the Savage Tribes, Two Hundred Years Ago
John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for interspersed

intersperse

verb (tr)

to scatter or distribute among, between, or on
to diversify (something) with other things scattered here and there

Derived Formsinterspersedly (ˌɪntəˈspɜːsɪdlɪ), adverbinterspersion (ˌɪntəˈspɜːʃən) or interspersal, noun

Word Origin

C16: from Latin interspargere, from inter- + spargere to sprinkle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for interspersed

intersperse

v.

1560s, from Latin interspersus "strewn, scattered, sprinkled upon," past participle of *interspergere, from inter- "between" (see inter-) + spargere "to scatter" (see sparse). Related: Interspersed; interspersing.

intersperse

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Synonyms

Examples from the Web for interspersed

Contemporary Examples

There are no calorie counts for the parade of nutritional horribles (interspersed with a little fruit).

Locals in sweatpants were interspersed among the band of revelers.

References to holy war are interspersed with exhortations to charity, kindness toward others, and respect for life.

On dark nights, Gershon would take the stage and perform songs, interspersed with the Cleo story.

Interspersed are the occasional illustration, piece of sheet music, or recipe.

Historical Examples

"Fact" questions and topical discussions should be interspersed.

These operations were interspersed with plowing and threshing.

As for the table, all I see is a general whiteness, interspersed with objects.

But his speech was interspersed with stronger language than that.

Magnificent forests were interspersed with broad and green prairies.

intersperse

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for interspersed

intersperse

v.

Origin of intersperse