intermediate Hear it!

intermediate Definition

in·ter·medi·ate (in′tər mē′dē it; for v., -dē āt′)

adjective

  1. being or happening between two things, places, stages, etc.; in the middle
  2. designating or of an automobile larger than a compact but smaller than the standard size

Etymology: ML intermediatus < L intermedius < inter-, between + medius, middle: see mid

noun

  1. anything intermediate
  2. intermediary
  3. an intermediate automobile
  4. Chem. a substance obtained as a necessary intermediate stage between the original material and the final product

intransitive verb -·at′ed, -·at′·ing

to mediate

intermediate Related Forms

in′·ter·me′di·ately adverb in′·ter·me′di·ate·ness noun or in′·ter·me′di·acy in′·ter·me′dia′·tion noun in′·ter·me′dia′·tor noun

intermediate Synonyms

intermediate

modif.

middle, halfway, midway, mid, between, in-between, intermediary, transitional, intervening, mean, medium, compromising, neutral, standard, median, moderate, average, about the fiftieth percentile; see also central 1, common 1, middle.

intermediate Usage Examples

Converse of object

improve: Overhead conditions aside, theres some nice skiing to be had, particularly for improving intermediates.

Adjective modifier

  • reactive: Exposure of bacteria to reactive oxygen intermediates can have a mutagenic effect on the DNA.
  • key: Higher resolution structural studies of key intermediates using NMR are now underway.
  • early: The skiing at Chamrousse is ideal for beginners and early intermediates, although the ski resort also provides for more advanced skiers.
  • low: The runs are wide, open and ideal for beginners and lower intermediates.
  • good: It has quite exceptional skiing for strong beginners up to good intermediates.
  • other: The oxaloacetate is converted to other 4-carbon intermediates that are transported to photosynthetic cells, where CO 2 is released by decarboxylation.

Modifies a noun

  • skier: Long blue and red runs suit intermediate skiers, snaking through the trees and offering fantastic views of Mont Blanc.
  • filament: Within a cell, the main structural elements are those of the cytoskeleton actin, intermediate filaments and microtubules.
  • host: The intermediate hosts for this worm are the mollusks or snails.
  • tier: The possibility of standard regions as an intermediate tier between central and local government might usefully be considered.
  • care: By 2006 councils increase their intermediate care places to benefit an extra 70,000 people a year.
  • station: The intermediate stations still get 4 trains an hour in the peak.

Modifying Another Word

  • not: Several detailed computer studies of the australopithecines have shown that their bodily proportions were not intermediate between man and living apes at all.
  • somewhat: They are somewhat intermediate in character to 7130 Blanket bogs.

Noun used with modifier

reaction: Infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy will be used to investigate reaction intermediates.

Preposition: in

  • pathway: The intermediates in these metabolic pathways are called metabolites.
  • reaction: This ultimately gave 15 as the product but an intermediate in the oxidative coupling reaction, 21, was isolated and structurally characterized.
  • character: They are somewhat intermediate in character to 7130 Blanket bogs.

Preposition: of

pathway: Note that only some of the intermediates of the central metabolic pathway are shown - see Fig.