# interfere

Pronunciation: US say "in-tur-FEER" /ˌɪn.tɚˈfɪɚ/; UK say "in-tuh-FEER" /ˌɪn.təˈfɪə(ɹ)/

## Verb

1. To involve oneself in a situation without invitation, causing disturbance or obstruction.
   - Simple: To get involved in something that is not your business and cause problems.
   - _He refused to interfere in matters that did not concern him._
   - _Government officials should not interfere with the work of independent courts._
2. A euphemistic verb for sexually molesting a person, especially a child.
   - Simple: A soft or indirect way of saying to sexually abuse someone, especially a child.
   - _The defendant was convicted of interfering with several children at the school._
   - _Neighbors worried that he might interfere with the kids next door._
3. Of two or more waves, to combine when overlapping or superposed so that their amplitudes reinforce or cancel one another.
   - Simple: When two waves meet and overlap, to combine so they grow stronger or cancel out.
   - _Coherent light beams interfere to produce alternating bright and dark fringes._
   - _Sound waves from the two speakers interfere, creating spots of near silence in the room._
4. Especially of a horse, to knock one foot against the opposite foot or ankle while walking or running.
   - Simple: When moving, to hit one foot against the other foot or ankle.
   - _Young horses sometimes interfere, knocking one ankle against the other as they trot._
   - _If a horse continues to interfere, a farrier may adjust its shoes._

## Origin

From Old French entreferir, formed from entre- plus ferir ('to hit, to strike'), which itself came from the Latin verb ferio.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/interfere (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).