pause
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Verb (2)pauses, paused, pausing
- interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing“The speaker paused”Synonyms: hesitateMore general delayMore specific hesitate, hem and haw, scruple
- cease an action temporarily“We pause for station identification”“let's break for lunch”Synonyms: intermitbreakMore general interrupt, disruptMore specific rest, take five, take ten
Noun (2)pauses
- a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of somethingSynonyms: intermissionbreakinterruptionsuspensionType of time interval, intervalKinds delay, letup, respite, halftime, blackout, lapse, caesura, time-out, dead air
- temporary inactivityType of inactivityKinds respite, hesitation, intermission, freeze
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Noun temporary stop or rest
Verb to interrupt something
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: F., fr. L. pausa. See Pose.
1. A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
2. Temporary inaction or waiting; hesitation; suspence; doubt.
I stand in pause where I shall first begin.— William Shakespeare
3. In speaking or reading aloud, a brief arrest or suspension of voice, to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts.
4. In writing and printing, a mark indicating the place and nature of an arrest of voice in reading; a punctuation point; as, teach the pupil to mind the pauses.
5. A break or paragraph in writing.
He writes with warmth, which usually neglects method, and those partitions and pauses which men educated in schools observe.— John Locke
6. Music A hold. See 4th Hold, 7.
Synonyms: Stop; cessation; suspension.
Origin: Cf. F. pauser, L. pausare. See Pause, noun, Pose.
1. To make a short stop; to cease for a time; to intermit speaking or acting; to stop; to wait; to rest. “Tarry, pause a day or two.” William Shakespeare
Pausing a while, thus to herself she mused.— John Milton
2. To be intermitted; to cease; as, the music pauses.
3. To hesitate; to hold back; to delay. rare
Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy forfeiture.— William Shakespeare
4. To stop in order to consider; hence, to consider; to reflect. rare “Take time to pause.” William Shakespeare
To pause upon, to deliberate concerning. William Shakespeare
Synonyms: To intermit; stop; stay; wait; delay; tarry; hesitate; demur.
To cause to stop or rest; — used reflexively. rare William Shakespeare
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54