n. [ Cf. F. intromission. See Intromit. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of sending in or of putting in; insertion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically; (Zool.) The insertion of the male copulatory organ into the female in the process of coitus. South. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Four populations [ of the vlei rat ] varied in a number of parameters of copulatory behavior, such as latency to first mount, number of intromissions per series, and latency to intromission after first ejaculation. Edith Dempster (African Small Mammals Newsletter, Issue No. 16, May 1996, Laboratoir Mammifères & Oiseaux, Paris) [ PJC ]

3. The act of letting go in; admission. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Scots Law) An intermeddling with the affairs of another, either on legal grounds or without authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. intermissio: cf. F. intermission. See Intermit. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act or the state of intermitting; the state of being neglected or disused; disuse; discontinuance. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cessation for a time; an intervening period of time; an interval; a temporary pause; as, to labor without intermission; an intermission of ten minutes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rest or intermission none I find. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Specifically: The short period between acts of a play, concert, opera, or other public performance when the audience may leave their seats for refreshment; -- it usually lasts from 10 to 20 minutes. [ PJC ]

4. (Med.) The temporary cessation or subsidence of a fever; the space of time between the paroxysms of a disease. Intermission is an entire cessation, as distinguished from remission, or abatement of fever. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Intervention; interposition. [ Obs. ] Heylin.

Syn. -- Cessation; interruption; interval; pause; stop; rest; suspension. See Cessation. [ 1913 Webster ]