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The act or state of interfering; as, the stoppage of a machine by the interference of some of its parts; a meddlesome interference in the business of others.

swelling or reënforcement of a sound, recurring at regular intervals, and produced by the interference of sound waves of slightly different periods of vibrations; applied also, by analogy, to other kinds of wave motions; the pulsation or throbbing produced by the vibrating together of two tones not quite in unison. See…

A state of opposition; antagonism; interference. The collision of contrary false principles. Bp. Warburton. Sensitive to the most trifling collisions. W. Irving.

unambiguous. He howhere, that I know, says it in direct words. Locke. A direct and avowed interference with elections. Hallam.

attempt on the part of European powers to extend their systems on this continent, or any interference to oppress, or in any manner control the destiny of, governments whose independence had been acknowledged by the United States.

One of a number of light or dark bands, produced by the interference of light; a diffraction band; -- called also interference fringe.

Exhibiting interference figures without the aid of a polariscope, as certain crystals.

trol by, others; self- subsistence or maintenance; direction of one's own affairs without interference. Let fortune do her worst, . . . as long as she never makes us lose our honesty and our independence. Pope.

The act of coming between; intervention; interference. [Obs.]

One of the contestants in interference before the Patent Office. [U.S.]

iminish, or otherwise affect one another; -- said of waves, rays of light, heat, etc. See Interference, 2.

By or with interference.

An instrument for measuring small movements, distances, or displacements by means of the interference of two beams of light; -- called also refractometer.

Interference; interposition. [Obs.] Bacon.

Any interference that may affect the interests of others; especially, of one or more states with the affairs of another; mediation. Let us decide our quarrels at home, without the intervention, of any foreign power. Sir W. Temple.

A conflict by collisions; a crowding or bumping together; interference. The jostle of South African nationalities and civilization. The Nation.

Noninterference; -- an axiom of some political economists, deprecating interference of government by attempts to foster or regulate commerce, manufactures, etc., by bounty or by restriction; as, the doctrine of laissez faire; the laissez faire system government.

To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge. I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor. Shak.

iberty. (a) Unconfined; free. (b) At leisure. -- Civil liberty, exemption from arbitrary interference with person, opinion, or property, on the part of the government under which one lives, and freedom to take part in modifying that government or its laws. -- Liberty bell. See under Bell. -- Liberty cap. (a) The Rom…

Excessive interference. "Justly shent for their overmeddling." Fuller.