interrupted

UK: /ˌɪntəˈrʌptɪd/ US: (in′tə rup′tid)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ter•rupt•ed  (in′tə rup′tid), adj. [Bot.]

1. Plant Biology having an irregular or discontinuous arrangement, as of leaflets along a stem.

• interrupt + -ed²

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

interrupted / ˌɪntəˈrʌptɪd/ adjective

1. broken, discontinued, or hindered
2. (of plant organs, esp leaves) not evenly spaced along an axis
3. Also: deceptive (of a cadence) progressing from the dominant chord to any other, such as the subdominant or submediant

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ter•rupt /v. ˌɪntəˈrʌpt; n. ˈɪntəˌrʌpt/   v. 

1. to cause or make a break in the continuing progress of (a course, process, condition, etc.):
   [~ + object] The flow of the river is interrupted by a waterfall.
2. to break off or cause to stop:
   [~ + object] He interrupted his work to answer the bell.
3. to stop (a person) while speaking or working, esp. by a remark added in: [no object]
   Please don't interrupt.
   [~ + object]
   He kept interrupting the boss whenever she spoke.
   [used with quotations]
   "Wait a minute,'' she interrupted, "I don't agree.''

n. [countable]

4. Computing a hardware or software signal that temporarily stops the working of a program in a computer so that another procedure can be carried out.

in•ter•rup•tion, n. 

[countable] We should be safe from all interruptions.

[uncountable] working without interruption for hours.

See -rupt-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•ter•rupt  (v. in′tə rupt′;n. in′tə rupt′), v.t. 

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?

v.i. 

4. to cause a break or discontinuance;
   interfere with action or speech, esp. by interjecting a remark:
   Please don't interrupt.

n. 

5. Computing 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.

• Latin interruptus past participle of interrumpere to break apart, equivalent. to inter- inter- + rup-, variant stem of rumpere to burst + -tus past participle suffix; see rupture
• late Middle English interrupten 1375–1425

in′ter•rupt′ed•ly, adv. 
in′ter•rupt′ed•ness, n. 
in′ter•rupt′i•ble, adj. 
in′ter•rup′tive, adj. 
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.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

interrupt / ˌɪntəˈrʌpt/ verb

1. to break the continuity of (an action, event, etc) or hinder (a person) by intrusion
2. (transitive) to cease to perform (some action)
3. (transitive) to obstruct (a view)
4. to prevent or disturb (a conversation, discussion, etc) by questions, interjections, or comment

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin interrumpere, from inter- + rumpere to break

ˌinterˈruptible adjective

ˌinterˈruptive adjective

ˌinterˈruptively adverb