Lewis & Short

inter-pōno, pŏsŭi, pŏsĭtum, 3, v. a., to put, place, lay, or set between or among, to interpose, insert between.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Of place, constr. with acc. and dat., or inter with acc.: equitatus praesidia levis armaturae, Hirt. B. G. 8, 17; 13; 19: vestibus interponi eam (herbam) gratissimum, Plin. 21, 6, 20, § 43: ubi spatium inter muros … pilae interponuntur, Caes. B. C. 2, 15: inter eos levis armaturae Numidas, Hirt. B. Afr. 13: uti levis armatura interjecta inter equites suos interponeretur, id. ib. 20: sulcos, Cato, R. R. 33, 3: ne interpositi quidem elephanti militem deterrebant, Liv. 37, 42: lateri vinculum lapides sunt, quos interposuere, ut, etc., Curt. 8, 10, 25.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. To insert, interpose, introduce.
        Of time: intercalariis mensibus interpositis, Liv. 1, 19, 6; cf.: inediam unius diei per singulos menses, Suet. Vesp. 20.
        Of musical notes: iis sonis quos interposuerant, inserunt alios, Quint. 12, 10, 68.
        Of words or language: ne inquam et inquit saepius interponeretur, Cic. Lael. 1: hoc loco libet interponere … quantae, etc., Nep. Pelop. 3, 1: subinde interponenti precibus, quid respondebo, etc., Quint. 6, 3, 64: paucis interpositis versibus, Cic. Div. 1, 57, 131: aliquid, Quint. 2, 4, 12: verbum ullum, Cic. Quint. 4, 15; so, querelas, id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 1: meam sententiam, Quint. 5 prooem. 3.
        Of a letter in a word: quibusdam (verbis litteram), Quint. 1, 5, 17.
        Of a foot in verse: quibusdam (iambus) interpositus, id. 10, 1, 96.
      2. 2. Of time, to let pass, permit to elapse, leave an interval: spatium ad recreandos animos, Caes. B. C. 3, 74: ejus rei causa moram interponi arbitrabatur, id. B. G. 4, 9, fin.: tridui mora interposita, after a delay of, id. ib. 4, 11; id. B. C. 1, 64; 3, 12; 75: nullam moram, Cic. Phil. 6, 1, 2: nullam moram, quin, etc., id. Ac. 1, 1: spatio interposito, some time after, id. Clu. 2, 5; Liv. 5, 5, 10: diebus aliquot interpositis, Varr. R. R. 3, 9: tempore interposito, Suet. Tib. 9; cf. id. Claud. 26; Plin. 25, 8, 49, § 88: hac interposita nocte, Liv. 44, 39.
      3. 3. To mingle: frigidam (cibis), to drink cold water while eating, Plin. 28, 4, 14, § 55; cf.: condimentis cuminum, to mix with, id. 20, 15, 58, § 153.
    3. C. With personal objects, to introduce among, admit among, bring into, to bring into a feast, a society, among associates, etc.: quam sancta sit societas civium, dis immortalibus interpositis, etc., Cic. Leg. 2, 7, 16: aliquem convivio, Suet. Claud. 39: legatos familiaribus, id. Ner. 22.
  2. II. Trop., to interpose, introduce, put in the way, put forward.
    1. A. In gen., as a hinderance, interference, reason, or pretext: Lentulus provinciam, quam sorte habebat, interposita religione, deposuit, Cic. Pis. 21, 50: neque ulla belli suspicione interposita, Caes. B. G. 4, 32: nulla interposita dubitatione, id. ib. 7, 40; Hirt. B. G. 8, 48; 52: interposita pactione, Just. 7, 6, 5: offensione aliqua interposita, Cic. Phil. 2, 4: nec colloquium interposita causa tolli volebat, Caes. B. G. 1, 42; Hirt. B. Alex. 70: causam interponens collegas exspectare, Nep. Them. 7, 2: postulata haec ab eo interposita esse, quominus, etc., Cic. Att. 7, 15, 3: operam, studium, laborem pro sociis, id. Div. in Caecin. 19.
    2. B. Esp.
      1. 1. Of a judgment, decree, edict, oath, etc.: jurejurando interposito, Liv. 34, 25, 7; Suet. Caes. 85: jus eo die se non dicturum, neque decretum interpositurum, Liv. 3, 46, 3: ad decreta interponenda pecuniam occipere, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 48, § 119; Suet. Tib. 33: judicium suum, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 150: poenas compromissaque, id. Verr. 2, 2, 27, § 66: exceptionem actioni, Dig. 44, 1, 2: intercessionem suam (of a tribune of the people), Val. Max. 6, 1, 10: tutor interponit auctoritatem suam, gives his authorization, Gai. Inst. 1, 190.
      2. 2. Fidem interponere, to pledge one’s word or credit: fidem suam in eam rem, Caes. B. G. 5, 36, 2: fidem reliquis interponere, jusjurandum poscere, ut, etc., id. ib. 5, 6, 6: fidem suam in re omni, Hirt. B. Alex. 63: omni interposita fide, Caes. B. C. 3, 86: ut in eam rem fidem suam, si quid opus esse putaret, interponeret, Cic. Rosc. Am. 39, 114; cf.: sponsio interponeretur, Liv. 9, 9.
      3. 3. Se interponere (in aliquid, or alicui rei; also with quominus or absol.), to interfere, intermeddle, engage in, set one’s self in the way: si te in istam pacificationem non interponis, Cic. Fam. 10, 27, 2: bello se, Liv. 35, 48: num ego me non interpono Romanis, Just. 3, 10, 11: num quem putas posse reperiri, qui se interponat, quominus, etc.? Cic. Vatin. 15: quid enim me interponerem audaciae tuae? expose myself, id. Phil. 2, 4, 19: ni tribuni plebis interposuissent se, Liv. 27, 6: tu vero, quod voles, facies; me nihil interpono, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 5.
        Rarely, to interfere, interpose in behalf of any one: semper se interposuit, Nep. Att. 2, 4; 9, 5: Qui me mediis interposuerim Caesaris scriptis, i.e. by writing a continuation, Hirt. B. G. 8 praef.