intercipere

Intercipere is a Latin verb meaning to seize between, to intercept, or to interrupt. It denotes taking something in transit, or preventing a path, action, or line of communication from continuing. In classical usage, the sense covers both physical seizure and figurative interruption.

The term comes from the combination of inter- (“between”) and capere (“to seize” or “to take”). It is a genuine Latin verb found in classical and Late Latin texts, often in military or legal contexts, as well as in metaphorical constructions.

Principal parts of intercipere are intercipio, intercipere, intercepi, interceptum, indicating a regular -io verb of the third conjugation. The present active indicative forms are intercipio, intercipis, intercipit, intercipimus, intercipitis, intercipiunt. The imperfect uses the standard -iebam/-iebas endings (intercipiebam, intercipiebas, intercipiebat, etc.); the future uses -iam/-ies endings (intercipiam, intercipies, intercipiet, intercipiemus, intercipietis, intercipient). The perfect active is intercepi, intercepisti, intercepit, intercepimus, intercepistis, interceperunt, with the corresponding passive and participial forms (e.g., intercipior; interceptus, interceptum).

In usage, intercipere governs a direct object in the accusative for the thing seized and can be combined with phrases indicating place or means of interception. The verb is primarily of historical and literary interest today, but it remains a standard example of a regular -io Latin verb. Related terms include other inter- compounds and the modern English intercept, derived from the same Latin root.