noun · verb · 12 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:ĭn'təsĕpt
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈɪntəsɛpt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:ĭn'tərsĕpt
US:/ˈɪntɚsɛpt/
rhymes with -ɛpt
Received-Pronunciation:ĭntəsĕpt'
Received-Pronunciation:/ɪntəˈsɛpt/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:ĭntərsĕpt'
US:/ɪntɚˈsɛpt/
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N T ER0 S EH1 P T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH2 N ER0 S EH1 P T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An interception of a missile.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
To take or comprehend between.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
To perform an aeronautical action in which a fighter approaches a suspicious aircraft to escort it away from a prohibited area, or approaches an enemy aircraft to shoot it down.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
the point at which a line intersects a coordinate axis
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: point
11
verb
Meaning 11
seize on its way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The fighter plane was ordered to intercept an aircraft that had entered the country's airspace
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stop
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: catch, grab, take hold of
Narrower terms: cut off, cut out
12
verb
Meaning 12
tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy
Is this hotel room bugged?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: wiretap, tap, bug
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: listen in, eavesdrop
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin interceptum, past participle of intercipiō.
Across languages
Translations
71 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
竊聽 /窃听
(qiètīng)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Finnish:
sieppaus
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Italian:
intercettazione
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Japanese:
傍受
(bōju)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Russian:
перехва́т
(perexvát)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Russian:
перехва́тывание
(perexvátyvanije)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Russian:
прослу́шивание
(proslúšivanije)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Russian:
подслу́шивание
(podslúšivanije)
— interception of a radio broadcast or a telephone call
Bulgarian:
прихващане
(prihvaštane)
— interception of a missile
Chinese Mandarin:
迎擊 /迎击
(yíngjī)
— interception of a missile
Finnish:
torjunta
— interception of a missile
Japanese:
迎撃
(geigeki)
— interception of a missile
Bulgarian:
отрез
(otrez)
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Finnish:
leikkauspisteen koordinaatti
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
German:
Achsenabschnitt
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
German:
Schnittpunkt
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Hungarian:
tengelymetszet
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Irish:
idirlíne
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Māori:
haukoti
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Polish:
przecięcie
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Russian:
пересече́ние
(peresečénije)
— coordinate of the point at which a curve intersects an axis
Arabic:
اِعْتَرَضَ
(iʕtaraḍa)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Bulgarian:
преграждам
(pregraždam)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Bulgarian:
запречвам
(zaprečvam)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Catalan:
interceptar
— to stop, deflect or divert
Chinese Mandarin:
阻止
(zǔzhǐ)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Dutch:
onderscheppen
— to stop, deflect or divert
Finnish:
pysäyttää
— to stop, deflect or divert
Finnish:
torjua
— to stop, deflect or divert
Finnish:
katkaista
— to stop, deflect or divert
Finnish:
keskeyttää
— to stop, deflect or divert
French:
intercepter
— to stop, deflect or divert
German:
abfangen
— to stop, deflect or divert
Ancient Greek:
ἀπολαμβάνω
(apolambánō)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Hebrew:
יירט
— to stop, deflect or divert
Japanese:
阻止する
(soshi suru)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Latin:
intercipiō
— to stop, deflect or divert
Māori:
rorehape
— to stop, deflect or divert
Māori:
kokoti
— to stop, deflect or divert
Māori:
haukoti
— to stop, deflect or divert
Māori:
komutu
— to stop, deflect or divert
Polish:
przechwycić
— to stop, deflect or divert
Polish:
przechwytywać
— to stop, deflect or divert
Portuguese:
interceptar
— to stop, deflect or divert
Quechua:
hark'ay
— to stop, deflect or divert
Russian:
заде́рживать
(zadérživatʹ)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Russian:
задержа́ть
(zaderžátʹ)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Russian:
перехва́тывать
(perexvátyvatʹ)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Russian:
перехвати́ть
(perexvatítʹ)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Serbo-Croatian:
prèsresti
— to stop, deflect or divert
Serbo-Croatian:
prèsretati
— to stop, deflect or divert
Thai:
สกัดกั้น
— to stop, deflect or divert
Ukrainian:
перехо́плювати
(perexópljuvaty)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Ukrainian:
перехопи́ти
(perexopýty)
— to stop, deflect or divert
Arabic:
اِعْتَرَضَ
(iʕtaraḍa)
— to gain possession of
Bulgarian:
пресичам
(presičam)
— to gain possession of
Catalan:
interceptar
— to gain possession of
Chinese Mandarin:
截奪 /截夺
(jiéduó)
— to gain possession of
Chinese Mandarin:
搶截 /抢截
(qiǎngjié)
— to gain possession of
Dutch:
onderscheppen
— to gain possession of
Finnish:
siepata
— to gain possession of
Finnish:
riistää
— to gain possession of
French:
intercepter
— to gain possession of
German:
abfangen
— to gain possession of
Japanese:
奪う
(ubau)
— to gain possession of
Polish:
przechwycić
— to gain possession of
Portuguese:
interceptar
— to gain possession of
Russian:
перехва́тывать
(perexvátyvatʹ)
— to gain possession of
Russian:
перехвати́ть
(perexvatítʹ)
— to gain possession of