Meanings
intersect1
present singular third person intersects · participle present intersecting · participle past intersected · past intersected
- ambitransitiveTo cut into or between; to cut or cross mutually; to divide into parts.
Parallel lines don't intersect.
2 more examples
Any two diameters of a circle intersect each other at the centre.
Lands intersected by a narrow frith / Abhor each other.
1782–1785, William Cowper, “(please specify the page)”, in The Task, a Poem, […], London: […] J[oseph] Johnson; […], →OCLC
intersect2
comparative more intersect · superlative most intersect
- Between sects; intersectarian.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
intersect · verb
- Latinintersecare“to cut between, cut off”
- Englishintersect
From Latin intersecare (“to cut between, cut off”), from inter (“between”) + secare (“to cut”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic تَقَاطَعَ
- تَقَاطَعَ (taqāṭaʕa)to cross each other; to cut each other
Bulgarian пресичам се, кръстосвам се
- пресичам се (presičam se)to cross each other; to cut each other
- кръстосвам се (krăstosvam se)to cross each other; to cut each other
- пресичам (presičam)in mathematics
Catalan intersecar, intersecar
- intersecarto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersecarin mathematics
Finnish ristetä, leikata
- ristetäto cross each other; to cut each other
- leikatato cross each other; to cut each other
- leikatain mathematics
French intersecter, interséquer
- intersecterto cross each other; to cut each other
- interséquerto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersecterin mathematics
- interséquerin mathematics
German sich schneiden, sich schneiden
- sich schneidento cross each other; to cut each other
- sich schneidenin mathematics
Italian intersecare, intersecare
- intersecareto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersecarein mathematics
Māori pūtahi
- pūtahito cross each other; to cut each other
Norwegian Bokmål skjære, gjennomskjære
- skjæreto cross each other; to cut each other
- gjennomskjæreto cross each other; to cut each other
Polish przecinać, przecinać się
- przecinaćto cross each other; to cut each other
- przecinać sięto cross each other; to cut each other
- krzyżowaćto cross each other; to cut each other
- krzyżować sięto cross each other; to cut each other
- przecinaćin mathematics
- przecinać sięin mathematics
Portuguese intersectar, intersetar
- intersectarto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersetarto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersectarin mathematics
- intersetarin mathematics
Spanish intersecarse, interseccionar
- intersecarseto cross each other; to cut each other
- interseccionarto cross each other; to cut each other
- intersecarsein mathematics
- interseccionarin mathematics
Tagalog bumagtas
- bumagtasin mathematics
Welsh croestorri, trawstorri
- croestorrito cross each other; to cut each other
- trawstorrito cross each other; to cut each other
- croestorriin mathematics
- trawstorriin mathematics
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with intersect
Cite this entry
intersect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intersect
“intersect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intersect. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “intersect,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/intersect.
Source: intersect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.