pause - Definitions from Dictionary.com

12 results for: pause

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

pause

Audio Help [pawz] Pronunciation Key noun, verb, paused, paus·ing.

–noun

1.	a temporary stop or rest, esp. in speech or action: a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

2.	a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation.

3.	any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.: I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

4.	a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation.

5.	Prosody. a break or suspension, as a caesura, in a line of verse.

6.	Music. a fermata.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate: He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee.

8.	to dwell or linger (usually fol. by on or upon): to pause upon a particular point.

—Idiom

9.	give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt: These frightening statistics give us pause.

[Origin: 1400–50; (n.) ME < L pausa < Gk paûsis a halt, equiv. to paú(ein) to stop + -sis -sis; (v.) deriv. of the n.

]

—Related forms

pausal, adjective

pauseful, adjective

pause·ful·ly, adverb

pauseless, adjective

pause·less·ly, adverb

pauser, noun

paus·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms 1–3. suspension, interruption, break, halt; hiatus, lacuna. 7. rest. 8. tarry, delay.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
pause

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pause Audio Help   (pôz) Pronunciation Key
v.   paused, paus·ing, paus·es

v.   intr.

To cease or suspend an action temporarily.
To linger; tarry: paused for a while under the huge oak tree.
To hesitate: He paused before replying.

v. tr.
To cease or suspend the action of temporarily; stop for an interim: "Once a movie [ordered on demand] begins, it can be paused but not rewound or fast-forwarded" (George Judson).

n.

A temporary cessation.
A delay or suspended reaction, as from uncertainty; a hesitation: After a pause the audience broke into cheers.
A break, stop, or rest, often for a calculated purpose or effect: After a dramatic pause, the lawyer finished her summation.
1. Music A sign indicating that a note or rest is to be held.
2. A break or rest in a line of poetry; a caesura.
Reason for hesitation: The immensity of the task gives one pause.

[From Middle English, pause, from Old French, from Latin pausa, from Greek pausis, from pauein, to stop.]

Synonyms: These nouns denote a temporary stop, as in activity: a short pause in the conversation; a concert with a 15-minute intermission; the legislature's summer recess; toiling without respite; a suspension of work.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pause (n.)

1426, from M.Fr. pause (14c.), from L. pausa "a halt, stop, cessation," from Gk. pausis "stopping, ceasing," from pauein "to stop, to cause to cease." The verb is from 1526.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

pause
noun
1.	a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
2.	temporary inactivity
verb
1.	interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing; "The speaker paused" [syn: hesitate]
2.	cease an action temporarily; "We pause for station identification"; "let's break for lunch"

American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This

pause

see give pause.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
pause1 [poːz] noun

a short stop, break or interval (while doing something)
Example: There was a pause in the conversation.

Arabic:	تَوَقُّف
Chinese (Simplified):	暂停
Chinese (Traditional):	暫停
Czech:	pauza
Danish:	pause; ophold
Dutch:	pauze, onderbreking
Estonian:	paus
Finnish:	tauko
French:	pause
German:	die Pause
Greek:	παύση, ανάπαυλα
Hungarian:	megszakítás
Icelandic:	hlé
Indonesian:	sela
Italian:	pausa

Japanese:	休止
Korean:	(잠깐) 중지, 중단
Latvian:	pauze, pārtraukums
Lithuanian:	pertrauka, sustojimas
Norwegian:	pause, opphold
Polish:	przerwa, pauza
Portuguese (Brazil):	pausa
Portuguese (Portugal):	pausa
Romanian:	pauză, întrerupere
Russian:	пауза
Slovak:	prestávka
Slovenian:	premor
Spanish:	pausa, silencio
Swedish:	paus, avbrott, uppehåll
Turkish:	ara, durma

pause2 [poːz] noun

the act of making a musical note or rest slightly longer than normal, or a mark showing that this is to be done

Arabic:	عَلامَة تَوَقُّف، تَوَقُّف
Chinese (Simplified):	延长符号
Chinese (Traditional):	延長符號
Czech:	koruna; pauza
Danish:	fermate
Dutch:	rustpunt, fermate
Estonian:	fermaat
Finnish:	fermaatti
French:	point d'orgue, pause
German:	die Pause
Greek:	παύση (μουσ.)
Hungarian:	korona (zenében)
Icelandic:	(heilnótu)þögn; þagnarmerki
Indonesian:	pause
Italian:	pausa

Japanese:	延長(記号)
Latvian:	fermāta
Lithuanian:	pauzė
Norwegian:	fermate
Polish:	fermata
Portuguese (Brazil):	pausa
Portuguese (Portugal):	pausa
Romanian:	pauză
Russian:	пауза
Slovak:	korunka; pauza
Slovenian:	pavza
Spanish:	pausa
Swedish:	paus
Turkish:	ara verme, durma

pause [poːz] verb

to stop talking, working etc for a short time
Example: They paused for a cup of tea.

Arabic:	يَتَوَقَّف
Chinese (Simplified):	中止
Chinese (Traditional):	中止
Czech:	udělat (si) přestávku
Danish:	holde pause; gøre ophold
Dutch:	pauzeren
Estonian:	vahet pidama
Finnish:	pitää tauko
French:	faire une pause
German:	pausieren
Greek:	κάνω παύση, κοντοστέκομαι
Hungarian:	szünetet tart
Icelandic:	gera hlé
Indonesian:	berhenti sebentar
Italian:	fare una pausa*

Japanese:	休む
Korean:	잠깐 쉬다
Latvian:	pārtraukt uz brīdi; taisīt pauzi
Lithuanian:	nutilti, sustoti, padaryti pertrauką
Norwegian:	ta pause
Polish:	zrobić przerwę
Portuguese (Brazil):	fazer uma pausa
Portuguese (Portugal):	parar
Romanian:	a face o pauză
Russian:	делать паузу, перерыв
Slovak:	urobiť si prestávku
Slovenian:	narediti premor
Spanish:	hacer una pausa, parar
Swedish:	ta en paus
Turkish:	ara vermek, durmak

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pause

Co*ro"na\ (k?-r?"n?), n.; pl. L. Coron[ae] (-n?), E. Coronas (-n?z). [L. corona crown. See Crown.]

1. A crown or garland bestowed among the Romans as a reward for distinguished services.

2. (Arch.) The projecting part of a Classic cornice, the under side of which is cut with a recess or channel so as to form a drip. See Illust. of Column.

3. (Anat.) The upper surface of some part, as of a tooth or the skull; a crown.

4. (Zo["o]l.) The shelly skeleton of a sea urchin.

5. (Astrol.) A peculiar luminous appearance, or aureola, which surrounds the sun, and which is seen only when the sun is totally eclipsed by the moon.

6. (Bot.) (a) An inner appendage to a petal or a corolla, often forming a special cup, as in the daffodil and jonquil. (b) Any crownlike appendage at the top of an organ.

7. (Meteorol.) (a) A circle, usually colored, seen in peculiar states of the atmosphere around and close to a luminous body, as the sun or moon. (b) A peculiar phase of the aurora borealis, formed by the concentration or convergence of luminous beams around the point in the heavens indicated by the direction of the dipping needle.

8. A crown or circlet suspended from the roof or vaulting of churches, to hold tapers lighted on solemn occasions. It is sometimes formed of double or triple circlets, arranged pyramidically. Called also corona lucis. --Fairholt.

9. (Mus.) A character [[pause]] called the pause or hold.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Pause

De*pose"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deposed; p. pr. & vb. n. Deposing.][FF. d['e]poser, in the sense of L. deponere to put down; but from pref. d['e]- (L. de) + poser to place. See Pose, Pause.]

1. To lay down; to divest one's self of; to lay aside. [Obs.]

Thus when the state one Edward did depose, A greater Edward in his room arose. --Dryden.

2. To let fall; to deposit. [Obs.]

Additional mud deposed upon it. --Woodward.

3. To remove from a throne or other high station; to dethrone; to divest or deprive of office.

A tyrant over his subjects, and therefore worthy to be deposed. --Prynne.

4. To testify under oath; to bear testimony to; -- now usually said of bearing testimony which is officially written down for future use. --Abbott.

To depose the yearly rent or valuation of lands. --Bacon.

5. To put under oath. [Obs.]

Depose him in the justice of his cause. --Shak.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pause

Hold\, n. 1. The act of holding, as in or with the hands or arms; the manner of holding, whether firm or loose; seizure; grasp; clasp; gripe; possession; -- often used with the verbs take and lay.

Ne have I not twelve pence within mine hold. --Chaucer.

Thou should'st lay hold upon him. --B. Jonson.

My soul took hold on thee. --Addison.

Take fast hold of instruction. --Pror. iv. 13.

2. The authority or ground to take or keep; claim.

The law hath yet another hold on you. --Shak.

3. Binding power and influence.

Fear . . . by which God and his laws take the surest hold of. --Tillotson.

4. Something that may be grasped; means of support.

If a man be upon an high place without rails or good hold, he is ready to fall. --Bacon.

5. A place of confinement; a prison; confinement; custody; guard.

They . . . put them in hold unto the next day. --Acts. iv. 3.