Dictionary
Find
in
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Translations

Click to move up the list of words
interest rate cap
interest rate collar
interest rate effect
interest rate floor
interested
interesting
interface
interfacing
interfere
interference
interfering
interferometer
interferon
interfertile
interfile
interflow
interfluent
Click to move down the list of words
Print Preview
See pronunciation key
Search for "interfere" in all of MSN Encarta
E-mail this entry
Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces
Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

interfere

in·ter·fere [ ìntər fr ] (past and past participle in·ter·fered, present participle in·ter·fer·ing, 3rd person present singular in·ter·feres)


intransitive verb 
Definition:
 
1. have undesirable effect: to delay, hinder, or obstruct the natural or desired course of something
The weather interfered with our plans.

2. meddle in other people's affairs: to participate in the affairs of others, especially by offering unwanted or unhelpful advice or by trying to resolve other people's disputes
It's not advisable to interfere in a private quarrel.

3. obstruct illegally: to obstruct, block, or hinder illegally an opponent in a sport
a 15-yard penalty for interfering with the pass

4. physics affect displacement or amplitude: to act together to increase, decrease, or cancel out displacement or amplitude

5. communication electronics cause interference: to cause electronic interference

6. hit hoof against leg: to hit one hoof against the opposite hoof or leg while walking ( refers to horses )

[15th century. < Old French s'entreferir "strike each other" < Latin ferire "to strike"]

in·ter·fer·er noun
Advertisement

Also on Encarta
Englishtown: Learn English online
Our Partners
Also on MSN
Encarta Message Boards (© Rubberball/Jupiterimages)
MSN Shopping
Upgrade your Encarta experience
Encarta RSS Feeds
© 2008 Microsoft