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interrupt

 - 4 dictionary results

in⋅ter⋅rupt

  [v. in-tuh-ruhpt; n. in-tuh-ruhpt]
Use interrupt in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of (a course, process, condition, etc.).
2. to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something: He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
3. to stop (a person) in the midst of doing or saying something, esp. by an interjected remark: May I interrupt you to comment on your last remark?
–verb (used without object)
4. to cause a break or discontinuance; interfere with action or speech, esp. by interjecting a remark: Please don't interrupt.
–noun
5. Computers. a hardware signal that breaks the flow of program execution and transfers control to a predetermined storage location so that another procedure can be followed or a new operation carried out.
Origin:
1375–1425; late ME interrupten < L interruptus ptp. of interrumpere to break apart, equiv. to inter- inter- + rup-, var. s. of rumpere to burst + -tus ptp. suffix; see rupture

Related forms:
in⋅ter⋅rupt⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
in⋅ter⋅rupt⋅ed⋅ness, noun
in⋅ter⋅rupt⋅i⋅ble, adjective
in⋅ter⋅rup⋅tive, adjective

Synonyms:
1, 3. intermit. Interrupt, discontinue, suspend imply breaking off something temporarily or permanently. Interrupt may have either meaning: to interrupt a meeting. To discontinue is to stop or leave off, often permanently: to discontinue a building program. To suspend is to break off relations, operations, proceedings, privileges, etc., for a certain period of time, usually with the stipulation that they will be resumed at a stated time: to suspend operations during a strike.

Antonyms:
1, 2. continue.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To interrupt
in·ter·rupt   (ĭn'tə-rŭpt')   
v.   in·ter·rupt·ed, in·ter·rupt·ing, in·ter·rupts

v.   tr.

  1. To break the continuity or uniformity of: Rain interrupted our baseball game.

  2. To hinder or stop the action or discourse of (someone) by breaking in on: The baby interrupted me while I was on the phone.

v.   intr.
To break in on an action or discourse.
n.   Computer Science

  1. A signal to a computer that stops the execution of a running program so that another action can be performed.

  2. A circuit that conveys a signal stopping the execution of a running program.


[Middle English interrupten, from Old French interrupte, interrupted, from Latin interruptus, past participle of interrumpere, to break off : inter-, inter- + rumpere, to break; see reup- in Indo-European roots.]
in'ter·rupt'i·ble adj., in'ter·rup'tion n., in'ter·rup'tive adj.
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

interrupt 
c.1420, from L. interruptus, pp. of interrumpere "break apart, break off," from inter- "between" + rumpere "to break" (see rupture, and compare corrupt).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Computing Dictionary

interrupt programming
1. An asynchronous event that suspends normal processing and temporarily diverts the flow of control through an "interrupt handler" routine.
Interrupts may be caused by both hardware (I/O, timer, machine check) and software (supervisor, system call or trap instruction).
In general the computer responds to an interrupt by storing the information about the current state of the running program; storing information to identify the source of the interrupt; and invoking a first-level interrupt handler. This is usually a kernel level privileged process that can discover the precise cause of the interrupt (e.g. if several devices share one interrupt) and what must be done to keep operating system tables (such as the process table) updated. This first-level handler may then call another handler, e.g. one associated with the particular device which generated the interrupt.
2. Under MS-DOS, nearly synonymous with "system call" because the OS and BIOS routines are both called using the INT instruction (see interrupt list) and because programmers so often have to bypass the operating system (going directly to a BIOS interrupt) to get reasonable performance.
[The Jargon File]
(1995-02-07)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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