inter

¹ American  

[in-tur] / ɪnˈtɜr /

verb (used with object)

interred, interring

1. to place (a dead body) in a grave or tomb; bury.

2. to place (a cremation urn) in an aboveground niche or in a grave or tomb.

   Her ashes were interred at the crematorium.

3. to put into the earth.

4. to forget or remove from consideration; abandon.

   Your dreams may be interred by social expectations and the demands of maturity.

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inter- ² American  

1. a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “between,” “among,” “in the midst of,” “mutually,” “reciprocally,” “together,” “during” (intercept; interest ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words (intercom; interdepartmental ).

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inter. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. intermediate.

2. interrogation.

3. interrogative.

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inter- ¹ British  

prefix

1. between or among

   international

2. together, mutually, or reciprocally

   interdependent

   interchange

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inter. ² British  

abbreviation

1. intermediate

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inter ³ British  

/ ɪnˈtɜː /

verb

1. (tr) to place (a body) in the earth; bury, esp with funeral rites

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inter– Scientific  

1. A prefix meaning “between” or “among,” as in interplanetary, located between planets.

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Other Word Forms

• reinter verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of inter¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English enteren, from Middle French enterrer, probably from unattested Vulgar Latin interrāre, derivative of terra “earth”; in- ²

Origin of inter-¹

Middle English < Latin (in some words replacing Middle English entre- < Middle French < Latin inter- ), combining form of inter (preposition and adv.); interior

Compare meaning

How does inter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• inter vs. intrapersonal

Example Sentences

His body is interred at the Washington headquarters of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, which also contains a small museum in his honour.

From BBC

But then Scott Michaels, the founder of Dearly Departed Tours, discovered that her cremated remains were interred in a rose garden under her married name, Elsa Lanchester Laughton.

From BBC

From Scotland to China, and from Iceland to West Africa, they have been interred under heavy stones, staked or nailed into graves.

From The Wall Street Journal

It notes that mass burials and mass graves were "not a customary way of interring the dead in the Roman Empire", and were mostly used in extreme situations and mass casualty events.

From BBC

Having said that, the inter will always be preferred simply because it is much more flexible - it can be used in quite heavy rain right up to when it's almost dry.

From BBC