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interrupt

verb

  1. speak out of turn
  2. interfere negatively
  3. to break up
L31858 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. signal to the processor emitted by hardware or software indicating an event that needs immediate attention
L322673 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈɪntəˌɹʌpt/ / /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/

noun

Etymology: From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”).

  1. An event that causes a computer or other device to temporarily cease what it was doing and attend to a condition.

    The interrupt caused the packet handler routine to run.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English interrupten, derived from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere (“to break apart/off, interrupt”), from inter (“between”) + rumpere (“to break”).

  1. To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly, especially by speaking.

    A maverick politician repeatedly interrupted the debate by shouting.

    Do not interrupt me in my course.

  2. To divide; to separate; to break the monotony of.

    The evenness of the road was not interrupted by a single hill.

  3. To assert to (a computer) that an exceptional condition must be handled.

    The packet receiver circuit interrupted the microprocessor.