"in fits and starts" meaning in English

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "in fits and starts"
      },
      "expansion": "in fits and starts",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "in fits and starts"
      },
      "expansion": "in fits and starts",
      "name": "en-PP"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "intermittently, jerkily"
      ],
      "id": "en-in_fits_and_starts-en-prep_phrase-FCkREfsC",
      "links": [
        [
          "intermittently",
          "intermittently"
        ],
        [
          "jerkily",
          "jerkily"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fitfully"
        },
        {
          "word": "discontinuously"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "a empentes i rodolons"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "par à-coups"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "a singhiozzo"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "a trompicones"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "a trancas y barrancas"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "stötvis"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "Translations",
          "word": "ryckvis"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "in fits and starts"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prepositional phrase",
        "head": "in fits and starts"
      },
      "expansion": "in fits and starts",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "in fits and starts"
      },
      "expansion": "in fits and starts",
      "name": "en-PP"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "prep_phrase",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English prepositional phrases",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Catalan translations",
        "Terms with French translations",
        "Terms with Italian translations",
        "Terms with Spanish translations",
        "Terms with Swedish translations",
        "Translation table header lacks gloss"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "intermittently, jerkily"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "intermittently",
          "intermittently"
        ],
        [
          "jerkily",
          "jerkily"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "fitfully"
    },
    {
      "word": "discontinuously"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "a empentes i rodolons"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "par à-coups"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "a singhiozzo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "a trompicones"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "a trancas y barrancas"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "stötvis"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "Translations",
      "word": "ryckvis"
    }
  ],
  "word": "in fits and starts"
}