\In`ter*fer"ence\, n. [See {Interfere}.]
1. 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.
2. (Physics) The mutual influence, under certain conditions,
   of two streams of light, or series of pulsations of sound,
   or, generally, two waves or vibrations of any kind,
   producing certain characteristic phenomena, as colored
   fringes, dark bands, or darkness, in the case of light,
   silence or increased intensity in sounds; neutralization
   or superposition of waves generally.
Note: The term is most commonly applied to light, and the
      undulatory theory of light affords the proper
      explanation of the phenomena which are considered to be
      produced by the superposition of waves, and are thus
      substantially identical in their origin with the
      phenomena of heat, sound, waves of water, and the like.
3. (Patent Law) The act or state of interfering, or of
   claiming a right to the same invention.
{Interference figures} (Optics), the figures observed when
   certain sections of crystallized bodies are viewed in
   converging polarized light; thus, a section of a uniaxial
   crystal, cut normal to the vertical axis, shows a series
   of concentric colored rings with a single black cross; --
   so called because produced by the interference of luminous
   waves.
{Interference fringe}. (Optics) See {Fringe}.