Origin: Latin prefix inter-
Interrupt has 7 different meanings across 2 categories:
a signal that temporarily stops the execution of a program so that another procedure can be carried out
"The hardware interrupt halted the main loop to allow the system to process an incoming keystroke immediately."
An event that causes a computer or other device to temporarily cease what it was doing and attend to a condition.
"A hardware interrupt stops the processor's current task so it can handle an incoming signal from a peripheral device."
In plain English: An interrupt is something that stops you from doing what you are currently focused on.
"The loud bang from outside was an interruption to our quiet conversation."
To disturb or halt (an ongoing process or action, or the person performing it) by interfering suddenly.
"The sudden noise interrupted his concentration just as he was about to solve the puzzle."
In plain English: To interrupt means to stop someone else from speaking so you can say something yourself.
"Please do not interrupt me while I am telling this story."
Usage: Use "interrupt" when you want to stop someone's speech or an ongoing activity with a sudden intrusion rather than simply pausing it temporarily. This verb applies equally to halting human conversations and stopping technical processes like computer operations.
The word "interrupt" comes from the Latin interrumpere, which literally means to break something in half. It entered English through Middle French and Old French as a way to describe stopping an action by breaking its continuity.