intersperse

/ˌɪntəˈspɜːs/

Etymology

From Latin interspergō, interspersus.

Why this word is great

INTERSPERSE — [Verb] To scatter or place things at intervals among other things. From Latin interspersus, past participle of interspergō ("to scatter among"), from inter- ("among") + spargere ("to scatter"). Unlike "interpolate" (which implies surgical precision) or "interleave" (which suggests methodical alternation), "intersperse" evokes the irregular, almost careless grace of things left to chance. It is the wildflowers dotting a meadow, the sporadic laughter in a quiet conversation, or the way sunlight filters through leaves—not methodical, not planned, but somehow right. A reminder that beauty often lies in what is unarranged.

verb

  1. To mix two things irregularly, placing things of one kind among things of other.“For example, a commercial sequence might intersperse pictures of a senator working in his office with shots of ordinary Americans happily working in various walks of life.”
  2. To scatter or insert something into or among other things.“When writing, I intersperse details.”
  3. To diversify by placing or inserting other things among something.“Mother Nature interspersed the petunias with a few dandelions, but it was a pretty garden, anyway.”