interloper

in·ter·lop·er

I0190200 (ĭn′tər-lō′pər)n.1. One that interferes with the affairs of others, often for selfish reasons; a meddler.2. One that intrudes in a place, situation, or activity: "When these interlopers choke out native species, ecologists see a danger signal" (William K. Stevens).3. Archaic a. One that trespasses on a trade monopoly, as by conducting unauthorized trade in an area designated to a chartered company.b. A ship or other vessel used in such trade.

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[inter- + probably Middle Dutch lōper, runner (from lōpen, to run).]

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in′ter·lope′ v.Word History: The word interloper has its origin in the time when England was embarking on the course that would lead to the British Empire. Interloper is first recorded in the late 1500s in connection with the Muscovy Company, the earliest major English trading company (chartered in 1555). The word was soon being used in connection with independent traders competing with the East India Company (chartered in 1600). These companies were established as monopolies, and independent traders, called interlopers, were not welcome. The term is probably partly derived from Dutch, the language of one of the great trade rivals of the English at that time. The inter- is simply the prefix inter-, which English has borrowed from Latin, meaning "between, among." The element -loper is probably related to the same element in landloper, "vagabond," a word adopted from Dutch landloper, with the same sense and composed of land, "land," and loper, from lopen, "to run, leap." The word interloper soon came to be used in the extended sense "meddler, person who intrudes in others' affairs" by the 1630s.

interloper

(ˈɪntəˌləʊpə) n1. an intruder2. a person who introduces himself into professional or social circles where he does not belong3. a person who interferes in matters that are not his concern4. (Law) a person who trades unlawfully[C17: from inter- + loper, from Middle Dutch loopen to leap]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

interloper - someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permissionintruder, trespasserunwelcome person, persona non grata - a person who for some reason is not wanted or welcomeboarder - someone who forces their way aboard ship; "stand by to repel boarders"entrant - someone who enters; "new entrants to the country must go though immigration procedures"crasher, gatecrasher, unwelcome guest - someone who gets in (to a party) without an invitation or without payinginfiltrator - an intruder (as troops) with hostile intentencroacher, invader - someone who enters by force in order to conquerpenetrator - an intruder who passes into or through (often by overcoming resistance)prowler, sneak, stalker - someone who prowls or sneaks about; usually with unlawful intentionspusher, thruster - one who intrudes or pushes himself forwardsquatter - someone who settles on land without right or titlestranger, unknown, alien - anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found

interloper

noun trespasser, intruder, gate-crasher (informal), uninvited guest, meddler, unwanted visitor, intermeddler She had no wish to share her father with any interloper.

interloper

nounA person given to intruding in other people's affairs:busybody, meddler, quidnunc.Informal: kibitzer.Slang: buttinsky.Archaic: pragmatic.

Translations

intruso