interference
[ in-ter-feer-uh ns ]
/ ˌɪn tərˈfɪər əns /
noun
Idioms for interference
run interference, Informal.
to deal with troublesome or time-consuming matters, as for a colleague or supervisor, especially to forestall problems.
OTHER WORDS FROM interference
o·ver·in·ter·fer·ence, nounWords nearby interference
Example sentences from the Web for interference
British Dictionary definitions for interference
interference
/ (ˌɪntəˈfɪərəns) /
noun
the act or an instance of interfering
physics
the process in which two or more coherent waves combine to form a resultant wave in which the displacement at any point is the vector sum of the displacements of the individual waves. If the individual waves converge the resultant is a system of fringes. Two waves of equal or nearly equal intensity moving in opposite directions combine to form a standing wave
Also called: radio interference
any undesired signal that tends to interfere with the reception of radio waves
aeronautics
the effect on the flow pattern around a body of objects in the vicinity
Derived forms of interference
interferential (ˌɪntəfəˈrɛnʃəl), adjectiveMedical definitions for interference
interference
[ ĭn′tər-fîr′əns ]
n.
The variation of wave amplitude that occurs when waves of the same or nearly the same frequency come together.
The condition in which infection of a cell by one virus prevents superinfection by another virus.
The condition in which superinfection by a second virus prevents effects that would result from infection by either virus alone, even though both viruses persist.
Scientific definitions for interference
interference
[ ĭn′tər-fîr′əns ]
The superposition of two or more waves propagating through a given region. Depending on how the peaks and troughs of the interacting waves coincide with each other, the resulting wave amplitude can be higher or smaller than the amplitudes of the individual waves.♦ When two waves interact so that they rise and fall together more than half the time, the amplitude of the resulting wave is greater than that of the larger wave. This is called constructive interference. ♦ When two waves interact such that they rise and fall together less than half the time, the resulting amplitude is smaller than the amplitude of the stronger wave. This interference is called destructive interference. It is possible for two waves of the same magnitude to completely cancel out in destructive interference where their sum is always zero, that is, where their peaks and troughs are perfectly opposed. See more at wave.
In electronics, the distortion or interruption of one broadcast signal by others.
Cultural definitions for interference
interference
The disturbance that results when two waves come together at a single point in space; the disturbance is the sum of the contribution of each wave. For example, if two crests of identical waves arrive together, the net disturbance will be twice as large as each incoming wave; if the crest of one wave arrives with the trough of another, there will be no disturbance at all.
notes for interference
One common example of interference is the appearance of dark bands when a light is viewed through a window screen.