intermittency
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: The quality or state of being intermittent; the fact of occurring at irregular intervals, not continuously or steadily. It describes something that starts and stops repeatedly or is subject to periodic interruption.
Usage
This noun is used to describe the irregular, on-and-off nature of an action, process, or phenomenon. It is often applied in technical, scientific, and general descriptive contexts.
Examples
- The main drawback of solar power in this region is its intermittency due to frequent cloud cover.
- The study measured the intermittency of the signal, noting pauses lasting several seconds.
- A common challenge with renewable energy sources like wind is their inherent intermittency.
Advanced Usage
- Statistical Intermittency: In fluid dynamics and chaos theory, this refers to irregular bursts of high activity in an otherwise calm signal.
- Conceptual Use: The term can be applied abstractly to describe the sporadic nature of non-physical things, such as effort or attention.
Variants and Related Words
- Intermittent (Adjective): Occurring at irregular intervals; not continuous or steady.
- Example: We heard intermittent sounds of thunder throughout the night.
- Intermittently (Adverb): In an intermittent manner.
- Example: The radio signal transmitted intermittently.
Synonyms
- Irregularity
- Discontinuity
- Sporadicity
- Fitfulness
Antonyms
- Continuity
- Constancy
- Steadiness
- Regularity
Noun
- the quality of being intermittent; subject to interruption or periodic stopping