intercept
Meaning
to stop, seize, or interrupt something or someone that is going from one place to another
to catch or receive a ball, pass, etc. that has been thrown, kicked, or hit by an opponent
the act of stopping, seizing, or interrupting something on its way from one place to another
Structure
Usage
The secret service managed to intercept the suspicious package before it reached its destination.
The defensive player made a brilliant move to intercept the quarterback's pass.
Authorities can sometimes intercept communications with a court order.
Etymology
The word 'intercept' is a direct borrowing from Latin 'interceptus', the past participle of 'intercipere', meaning 'to seize in between, to catch on the way'. This Latin verb is a compound of 'inter-' (between) and '-cipere', a combining form of 'capere' (to take). The core logic of the word has remained remarkably consistent from its Latin origins to modern English: to take or seize something (cept) while it is in transit between two points (inter). This concept applies both to physical objects, like stopping a messenger, and to abstract transmissions, like catching a thrown ball or interrupting a communication signal.
Analysis
The morpheme 'inter' originates from Latin, meaning 'between, among'. The morpheme 'cept' originates from the Latin root 'capere', meaning 'to take, seize'.