Interrupt vs Sidetrack - What's the difference?
interrupt | sidetrack |
To disturb or halt an ongoing process or action by interfering suddenly.
* Shakespeare
* , chapter=3
, title= To divide; to separate; to break the monotony of.
(computing) To assert to a computer that an exceptional condition must be handled.
(computing) An event that causes a computer to temporarily cease what it was doing and attend to a condition
(rail transport) A second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.
(sometimes) Any auxiliary railroad track, as differentiated from a siding, that runs adjacent to the main track.
(mining) A smaller tunnel or well drilled as an auxiliary off a main tunnel or well.
An alternate train of thought, issue, topic, or activity, that is a deviation or distraction from the topic at hand or central activity, and secondary or subordinate in importance or effectiveness.
To divert (a locomotive) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass.
To divert or distract (someone) from a main issue or course of action with an alternate or less relevant topic or activity; or, to use deliberate trickery or sly wordplay when talking to (a person) in order to avoid discussion of a subject.
To sideline; to push aside; to divert or distract from, reducing (something) to a secondary or subordinate position.
To deviate briefly from the topic at hand.
As verbs the difference between interrupt and sidetrack
is that interrupt is to disturb or halt an ongoing process or action by interfering suddenly while sidetrack is to divert (a locomotive) on to a lesser used track in order to allow other trains to pass.As nouns the difference between interrupt and sidetrack
is that interrupt is (computing) an event that causes a computer to temporarily cease what it was doing and attend to a condition while sidetrack is (rail transport) a second, relatively short length of track just to the side of a railroad track, joined to the main track by switches at one or both ends, used either for unloading freight, or to allow two trains on a same track to meet (opposite directions) or pass (same direction); a railroad siding.interrupt
English
Verb
(en verb)- Do not interrupt me in my course.
The Mirror and the Lamp, passage=One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.” He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.}}
- The evenness of the road was not interrupted by a single hill.
Antonyms
* continue * resumeNoun
(wikipedia interrupt) (en noun)- The interrupt caused the packet handler routine to run.
Derived terms
* hardware interrupt * interrupt handler * non-maskable interrupt, NMI * software interruptExternal links
* * * English reporting verbssidetrack
English
Alternative forms
* side-track', ' side trackNoun
(en noun)- Stay focused on the story; you keep getting lost in all of these little sidetracks .
Synonyms
railroad siding, siding, lay-by (UK)Verb
(en verb)- Sorry I'm late. I got sidetracked with contributing to Wiktionary.
- The politician sidetracked the reporter with a story about duck hunting instead of a direct response to the question that was asked.
- I hope you can sidetrack the teacher with questions so we don't have to take the exam.
- The project was sidetracked in favor of a more popular program.
- He has sidetracked this debate for far too long.
- Just to sidetrack a little bit from the subject I will explain my reasoning.
- To sidetrack for a moment, let me commend this team for their outstanding efforts.