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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026in•ter•rupt /v. ˌɪntəˈrʌpt; n. ˈɪntəˌrʌpt/USA pronunciation
v.
- to cause or make a break in the continuing progress of (a course, process, condition, etc.):[~ + object]The flow of the river is interrupted by a waterfall.
- to break off or cause to stop:[~ + object]He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
- to stop (a person) while speaking or working, esp. by a remark added in: [no object]Please don't interrupt.[~ + object]He kept interrupting the boss whenever she spoke.[used with quotations]"Wait a minute,'' she interrupted, "I don't agree.''
n. [countable]
- Computinga hardware or software signal that temporarily stops the working of a program in a computer so that another procedure can be carried out.
in•ter•rup•tion, n. [countable]We should be safe from all interruptions.[uncountable]working without interruption for hours.See -rupt-.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026in•ter•rupt
(v. in′tə rupt′;n. in′tə rupt′),USA pronunciation v.t.
- to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).
- to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something:He interrupted hiswork to answer the bell.
- to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, esp. by an interjected remark:May I interrupt you to comment on your last remark?
v.i. - to cause a break or discontinuance;
interfere with action or speech, esp. by interjecting a remark:Please don't interrupt.
n. - Computinga hardware signal that breaks the flow of program execution and transfers control to a predetermined storage location so that another procedure can be followed or a new operation carried out.
- Latin interruptus past participle of interrumpere to break apart, equivalent. to inter- inter- + rup-, variant stem of rumpere to burst + -tus past participle suffix; see rupture
- late Middle English interrupten 1375–1425
1. 3. intermit. Interrupt, discontinue, suspend imply breaking off something temporarily or permanently. Interrupt may have either meaning:to interrupt a meeting.To discontinue is to stop or leave off, often permanently:to discontinue a building program.To suspend is to break off relations, operations, proceedings, privileges, etc., for a certain period of time, usually with the stipulation that they will be resumed at a stated time:to suspend operations during a strike.
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