tr.v. dis·rupt·ed, dis·rupt·ing, dis·rupts 1. To throw into confusion or disorder: Protesters disrupted the candidate's speech. 2. To interrupt or impede the progress of: Our efforts in the garden were disrupted by an early frost. The noise disrupted my nap. 3. To break apart or alter so as to prevent normal or expected functioning: radiation that disrupts DNA and kills bacteria. [Latin disrumpere, disrupt-, to break apart : dis-, dis- + rumpere, to break apart; see reup- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] dis·rupter, dis·ruptor n. dis·ruption n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.