interrupt - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

To interrupt someone is to interfere in their activity, disrupt their conversation, or to disturb their peace and quiet.

Imaging you're watching reruns of Jeopardy! and your mom interrupts you, threatening to turn off the TV unless you take the trash out. Then your brother interrupts your peace and quiet by shouting answers — wrong answers — at the TV. A special weather bulletin then interrupts your "regularly scheduled program" with a severe thunderstorm warning. And, to complete the job, lightning causes an interrupt (now used as a noun) in the power grid and your electricity goes off.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: interrupt

1	v n	make a break in a signal that temporarily stops the execution of a program so that another procedure can be carried out
2	v	terminate

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: interrupt

1

v make a break in

“We interrupt the program for the following messages”

Synonyms:: break up, cut off, disrupt

Types:: show 22 types...; hide 22 types...; cut, cut off
cease, stop; punctuate
interrupt periodically; break
interrupt the flow of current in; put aside, put away
turn away from and put aside, perhaps temporarily; break, intermit, pause
cease an action temporarily; barge in, break in, butt in, chime in, chisel in, cut in, put in
break into a conversation; burst in on, burst upon
spring suddenly; heckle
challenge aggressively; come in, inject, interject, interpose, put in, throw in
to insert between other elements; block, jam
interfere with or prevent the reception of signals; stop, stop over
interrupt a trip; take off, take time off
take time off from work; stop working temporarily; disrupt
interfere in someone else's activity; breathe, catch one's breath, rest, take a breather
take a short break from one's activities in order to relax; take five
take a break for five minutes; take ten
take a ten minute break; barrage jam
jam an entire frequency spectrum; point jam
jam a narrow band of frequencies; spot jam
jam a single frequency; blanket jam
jam a broad spectrum of frequencies to affect all communications in the area except for directional antenna communications; call
make a stop in a harbour; lay over, stop over
interrupt a journey temporarily, e.g., overnight

Type of:: break, break off, discontinue, stop
prevent completion

v destroy the peace or tranquility of

“Don't interrupt me when I'm reading”

Synonyms:: disturb

Type of:: act, move
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

v interfere in someone else's activity

“Please don't interrupt me while I'm on the phone”

Synonyms:: disrupt

Types:: cut in
interrupt a dancing couple in order to take one of them as one's own partner; cut short
cause to end earlier than intended

Type of:: barge in, break in, butt in, chime in, chisel in, cut in, put in
break into a conversation

n a signal that temporarily stops the execution of a program so that another procedure can be carried out

Type of:: signal
an electric quantity (voltage or current or field strength) whose modulation represents coded information about the source from which it comes

2

v terminate

“She interrupted her pregnancy”

Synonyms:: break

Types:: show 4 types...; hide 4 types...; hold on, stop
stop and wait, as if awaiting further instructions or developments; break off, break short, cut short
interrupt before its natural or planned end; freeze, suspend
stop a process or a habit by imposing a freeze on it; hang up
interrupt a telephone conversation

Type of:: end, terminate
bring to an end or halt