Interruptor

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A device that halts or disrupts a continuous flow of electricity or signals in a circuit
2. An apparatus utilized to break the current in electrical systems, causing a temporary pause in operation
3. A mechanism designed to stop or alter the transmission of power or information within an electrical framework

Etymology: "Interruptor" is a late arrival in English, built on a Latin verb that meant "to break apart." Its ancestor "interrumpere" combined "inter" ("between") with "rumpere" ("to break"), so the root sense is breaking something in two, or breaking into the middle of it. Latin passed the participle "interruptus" into English through Middle English "interrupten," which came into use in the late Middle Ages. The form "interruptor" is a straightforward extension of the verb "interrupt," with the agent ending "-or," the same pattern that gives English words like "actor" and "conductor." Its sibling, "interrupter," takes the agent ending "-er" from Old English and Middle English, so the two spellings are the same word wearing different endings. The electrical sense is modern: a device that cuts a circuit on purpose, which is a meaning that only became useful once electricity was being controlled by mechanical switches.

Synonyms: switch, controller, breaker