Intruder
ɪnˈtruːdər
Definitions
2 meaningsA person who enters a building or property illegally, often with the intent to commit a crime.
ɪnˈtruːdər
A person who enters a place or situation without permission or welcome.
The security system alerted the homeowner to an intruder.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone you don't know just walks into your house without knocking! That person is an intruder. It’s like when you get a pop-up ad when you're trying to play a game – it's an intruder in your game time!
👶 For kids: Someone who goes somewhere they are not supposed to be.
More Examples
The police apprehended the intruder before he could steal anything.
An intruder was spotted in the garden late last night.
How It's Used
"The homeowner called the police when an intruder broke into his house."
"She felt like an intruder at the exclusive party."
Something that enters a system or environment unexpectedly and often disrupts it. It could be a computer virus, a foreign substance, or an unwanted element.
ɪnˈtruːdər
Something that enters a system or environment unexpectedly or without authorization.
The antivirus software removed the intruder from the computer system.
💡 Simply: Imagine a computer virus sneaking into your computer and messing things up. Or maybe a new kind of weed shows up in your garden, making it hard for your plants to grow. Those are both intruders in a way.
👶 For kids: Something that gets into a place or thing where it's not supposed to be.
More Examples
The introduction of non-native plants can be seen as biological intruders.
The loud music from the neighbors was an intruder on our quiet evening.
How It's Used
"The firewall detected an intruder attempting to access the company's servers."
"The invasive species are considered intruders to the ecosystem."
Idioms & expressions
intruder alert
A warning message or system that notifies someone of the presence of an unauthorized person on the premises.
"The security system sent an intruder alert to the homeowner's phone."
From Late Latin intrūdere (“to thrust in”) + -er (agent suffix).
The term 'intruder' has been used since the 16th century, originally denoting someone who enters without invitation or permission.
Memory tip
Think of someone 'thrusting' themselves in where they don't belong.