An interrupt is a signal emitted by hardware or software when a process or an event needs immediate attention ¹. Here are some possible meanings of the word "interrupt" ² ³ ⁴:

- Verb: to cause or make a break in the continuity or uniformity of something
- Verb: to break off or cause to cease, as in the middle of something
- Verb: to stop a person in the midst of doing or saying something
- Verb: to cause a break or discontinuance; interfere with action or speech
- Noun: 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