interpolate

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: in=ter=po=late

CIDE DICTIONARY

interpolate, v. t. [L. interpolatus, p. p. of interpolare to form anew, to interpolate, fr. interpolus, interpolis, falsified, vamped up, polished up; inter between + polire to polish. See Polish, v. t.].

•  To renew; to carry on with intermission.  [1913 Webster]

  "Motion . . . partly continued and unintermitted, . . . partly interpolated and interrupted."  [1913 Webster]
•  To alter or corrupt by the insertion of new or foreign matter; especially, to change, as a book or text, by the insertion of matter that is new, or foreign to the purpose of the author.  [1913 Webster]

  "How strangely Ignatius is mangled and interpolated, you may see by the vast difference of all copies and editions."  [1913 Webster]

  "The Athenians were put in possession of Salamis by another law, which was cited by Solon, or, as some think, interpolated by him for that purpose."  [1913 Webster]
•  To fill up intermediate terms of, as of a series, according to the law of the series; to introduce, as a number or quantity, in a partial series, according to the law of that part of the series; to estimate a value at a point intermediate between points of knwon value. Compare extrapolate.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

interpolate, v.tr.
1 a insert (words) in a book etc., esp. to give false impressions as to its date etc. b make such insertions in (a book etc.).
2 interject (a remark) in a conversation.
3 estimate (values) from known ones in the same range.

Derivative

interpolation n. interpolative adj. interpolator n.

Etymology

L interpolare furbish up (as INTER-, polire POLISH(1))

THESAURUS

interpolate

add, admit, annex, append, drag in, edge in, enter, fill in, foist in, fudge in, implant in, inject in, insert, insert in, insinuate, insinuate in, intercalate, interjaculate, interject, interlope, interpose, intervene, introduce in, intrude, lug in, put between, run in, sandwich, smuggle in, squeeze in, superadd, throw in, thrust in, wedge in, work in, worm in

ROGET THESAURUS

interpolate

Interposition

VB lie between, come between, get between, intervene, slide in, interpenetrate, permeate, put between, introduce, import, throw in, wedge in, edge in, jam in, worm in, foist in, run in, plow in, work in, interpose, interject, intercalate, interpolate, interline, interleave, intersperse, interweave, interlard, interdigitate, sandwich in, fit in, squeeze in, let in, dovetail, splice, mortise, insinuate, smuggle, infiltrate, ingrain, interfere, put in an oar, thrust one's nose in, intrude, obtrude, have a finger in the pie, introduce the thin end of the wedge, thrust in.