intersect

American  

[in-ter-sekt] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛkt /

verb (used with object)

1. to cut or divide by passing through or across.

   The highway intersects the town.

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verb (used without object)

1. to cross, as lines or wires.

2. Geometry. to have one or more points in common.

   intersecting lines.

intersect British  

/ ˌɪntəˈsɛkt /

verb

1. to divide, cut, or mark off by passing through or across

2. (esp of roads) to cross (each other)

3. maths (often foll by with) to have one or more points in common (with another configuration)

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Other Word Forms

• nonintersecting adjective
• self-intersecting adjective
• unintersected adjective
• unintersecting adjective

Etymology

Origin of intersect

1605–15; < Latin intersectus, past participle of intersecāre “to cut through, sever”; inter- ( def. ), -sect ( def. )

Example Sentences

These two sets of tensions sometimes intersect, but when they don’t, the Manchurian side of things feels like a distraction from the central theme of the book.

From The Wall Street Journal

As holiday travel ramps up, the disclosure highlights how ordinary activities increasingly intersect with federal surveillance systems — often without the public’s knowledge.

From Salon

It is clean accountability and fewer conflicts when supervision and backstops intersect.

From Barron's

The incident has prompted discussion across social media and news outlets about how identity, representation and symbolism intersect in federal institutions.

From Salon

This has led to growing interest in gridshells, which use intersecting curved elements of metal, glass or timber to span wide areas without interior supports.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• converge
• cross