Word of the Day
Sunday, December 05, 1999
respite
\RES-pit\ , noun;
1.
A delay or postponement.
2.
A temporary suspension of punishment; reprieve.
3.
An interval of rest or relief.
transitive verb:
1.
To grant a respite to.
2.
To postpone; to delay.
Quotes:
Fortunately the summers in New London provided a welcome, if not a complete, respite from life on the road.
-- Jane Scovell, Oona: Living in the Shadows
When shall we learn . . . that frequent respites from toil are the very safety-valves of professional men?
-- William Mathews, Getting on in World
These social interludes provided Stein respite from her word-filled day and offered her a chance to listen to the gossip and speech patterns of others.
-- Steven Watson, Prepare for Saints
Origin:
Respite comes from Old French respit, from Latin respectus, "a refuge, a retreat," from respicere, "to look back," from re-, "back" + specere, "to look at."
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