interrupter

or in·ter·rup·tor

[ in-tuh-ruhp-ter ]
See synonyms for: interrupterinterrupters on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a person or thing that interrupts.

  2. Electricity. a device for interrupting or periodically opening and closing a circuit, as in a doorbell.

Origin of interrupter

1
First recorded in 1505–15; interrupt + -er1

Words Nearby interrupter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use interrupter in a sentence

  • A very thin vacuum shutter forms a better interrupter of sound waves than a brick wall two or three feet in thickness.

  • The interrupter must be Harry Wilbur; nobody else approached door-knockers in so athletic a spirit.

    The Open Question | Elizabeth Robins
  • The dual feature consists of the addition to the magneto of a battery interrupter.

    Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred Pag
  • This relative timing can be easily adjusted by removing the interrupter and shifting the cam in the direction desired.

    Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred Pag
  • This is accomplished by means of an "interrupter" that either vibrates rapidly or "snaps" once at the formation of each spark.

    The Gasoline Motor | Harold Whiting Slauson

British Dictionary definitions for interrupter

interrupter

interruptor

/ (ˌɪntəˈrʌptə) /


noun
  1. a person or thing that interrupts

  2. an electromechanical device for opening and closing an electric circuit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012