interrupter

noun

in·​ter·​rupt·​er ˌin-tə-ˈrəp-tər How to pronounce interrupter (audio)
variants or less commonly interruptor
: one that interrupts
especially : a device for interrupting an electric current usually automatically

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Their motor, cord, and ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) can get extremely hot. Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, 21 Feb. 2023 Many other cities also began adopting the interrupter model. Alec Macgillis, ProPublica, 30 Jan. 2023 Of some 50 other recipients nationwide, relatively few were interrupter programs. Alec Macgillis, ProPublica, 30 Jan. 2023 The city budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes $800,000 in funding for the violence interrupter program. Dallas News, 11 Oct. 2022 Look the interrupter in the eye, smile and finish your thought. Annie Lane, cleveland, 7 Dec. 2022 The interrupter, a male, could not be understood from initial video. Barack Obama, Fox News, 29 Oct. 2022 What’s more, there are other items in this toolset reserved for professional use, such as a non-contact voltage tester with a flashlight, a ground fault circuit interrupter tester, and a voltage and continuity tester. Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2022 The mayor’s latest budget pumps millions into crime mitigation programs and more than doubles the size of the violence interrupter unit. Washington Post, 1 Nov. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interrupter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1512, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interrupter was circa 1512

Dictionary Entries Near interrupter

Cite this Entry

“Interrupter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interrupter. Accessed 1 Apr. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on interrupter

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