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interfere

 - 5 dictionary results

in⋅ter⋅fere

  [in-ter-feer]
Use interfere in a Sentence
–verb (used without object), -fered, -fer⋅ing.
1. to come into opposition, as one thing with another, esp. with the effect of hampering action or procedure (often fol. by with): Constant distractions interfere with work.
2. to take part in the affairs of others; meddle (often fol. by with or in): to interfere in another's life.
3. (of things) to strike against each other, or one against another, so as to hamper or hinder action; come into physical collision.
4. to interpose or intervene for a particular purpose.
5. to strike one foot or leg against another in moving, as a horse.
6. Sports.
a. to obstruct the action of an opposing player in a way barred by the rules.
b. Football. to run interference for a teammate carrying the ball.
7. Physics. to cause interference.
8. to clash; come in collision; be in opposition: The claims of two nations may interfere.
9. Law. to claim earlier invention when several patent requests for the same invention are being filed.
—Verb phrase
10. interfere with, Chiefly British. to molest sexually.
Origin:
1520–30; inter- + -fere < L ferīre to strike; modeled on MF s'entreferir

Related forms:
in⋅ter⋅fer⋅er, noun
in⋅ter⋅fer⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
2. pry, intrude, encroach, interlope. 4. intercede.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To interfere
in·ter·fere   (ĭn'tər-fîr')   
intr.v.   in·ter·fered, in·ter·fer·ing, in·ter·feres

  1. To be or create a hindrance or obstacle: loud talking that interfered with the other patrons' conversations; assistance that only interfered.

  2. Sports To perform an act of interference.

  3. To intervene or intrude in the affairs of others; meddle.

  4. To strike one hoof against the opposite hoof or leg while moving. Used of a horse.

  5. Physics & Electronics To cause interference.


[Middle English enterferen, from Old French s'entreferer, to strike one another : entre-, between (from Latin inter-; see inter-) + ferir, to strike (from Latin ferīre).]
in'ter·fer'er n., in'ter·fer'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to intervene unasked in the affairs of others and often in an impudent or indiscreet manner. Interfere implies action that seriously hampers, hinders, or frustrates: "Romantics of all ages can recall occasions when lust interfered with reason" (Christine Gorman).
Meddle stresses unwanted, unwarranted, or unnecessary intrusion: "wholly unacquainted with the world in which they are so fond of meddling" (Edmund Burke).
To tamper is to interfere by making unsought, unwelcome, often destructive changes or by trying to influence another in an improper way: "a large number of persons accused of . . . tampering with ballot boxes" (James Bryce).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

interfere 
1440, "to strike against," from M.Fr. enterferer "to strike each other," from entre- "between" + ferir "to strike," from L. ferire "to knock, strike," related to L. forare "to bore, pierce," and cognate with O.E. borian "to bore" (cf. punch (v.), which has both the sense "to hit" and "to make a hole in"). Fig. sense of "to meddle with, oppose unrightfully" is from 1632.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: in·ter·fere
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: -fered; -fer·ing
1 : to act in a way that impedes or obstructs others
2 : to enter into the concerns of others
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·ter·fere
Pronunciation: "int-&(r)-'fi(&)r
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Forms: -fered; -fer·ing
1 : to strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in walking or running —used especially of horses
2 : to act reciprocally so as to augment, diminish,or otherwise affect one another —used of waves
3 : to be inconsistent with and disturb the performance of previously learned behavior
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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