interrupt

Formsinterrupts, interrupting, interrupted

Pluralinterrupts

1. 1
   verbtransitive or intransitive

   To stop someone or something suddenly, often by speaking before they finish.

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

   He interrupted the meeting to share the urgent news.

   Similardisrupt, disturb, halt, suspend, interject

   Oppositeresume, continue

   Note
2. 2
   verbtransitive

   To divide or break up something, so it is not all one piece or all the same.

   Busy highways interrupt the old neighborhood and cut it off from the river.

   A few bright posters interrupt the plain white walls of the hallway.

   Similarbreak, punctuate, divide, separate, intersect

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable

   A signal that makes a computer stop its current task and deal with something important first.

   Like a tap on the shoulder that makes you stop what you are doing and look up.

   When you press a key, the keyboard sends an interrupt to the computer.

   A printer can send an interrupt when it runs out of paper.

   Note
4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To send a signal that tells a computer to stop and handle a special problem or event.

   When the printer runs out of paper, it interrupts the computer to report the problem.

   A device can interrupt the computer when it needs attention.

   Note

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