1. (n.) A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.

2. (n.) Temporary inaction or waiting; hesitation; suspense; doubt.

3. (n.) In speaking or reading aloud, a brief arrest or suspension of voice, to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts.

4. (n.) 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. (n.) A break or paragraph in writing.

6. (n.) A hold. See 4th Hold, 7.

7. (n.) To make a short stop; to cease for a time; to intermit speaking or acting; to stop; to wait; to rest.

8. (n.) To be intermitted; to cease; as, the music pauses.

9. (n.) To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.

10. (n.) To stop in order to consider; hence, to consider; to reflect.

11. (v. t.) To cause to stop or rest; -- used reflexively.

abeyance accent accent mark afterthought back down balance bar bashfulness bind blench block blockage boggle boggling boundary breach break breath breathe breather breathing place breathing space breathing spell breathing time breve rest bureaucratic delay caesura call a break call a recess call time cancel cease-fire cessation character cigarette break clause boundary clause terminal close juncture cocktail hour coffee break colon comma compunction custos day off debate declare a recess delay delayage delayed reaction deliberate demur demurral detention diffidence direct discontinuance discontinuation discontinue discontinuity dot double take downtime dragging drop eighth rest enforced respite expression mark falling terminal falter faltering fear fermata fight shy of fissure flinch gap half rest half time half-time intermission halt hang back hang off hang-up happy hour have qualms hem and haw hesitance hesitancy hesitate hesitation hiatus hindrance hold hold off hold up hold-up holdup holiday hover hum and haw interim interlude intermezzo intermission intermit intermittence interregnum interrupt interruption interval intervene jam jib juncture key signature knock off lacuna lag lagging lapse lay off layoff lead let up letup ligature logjam lull make bones about mark mark time measure metronomic mark minim modesty moratorium notation objection obstruction off-time open juncture paperasserie period plateau point point of repose ponder presa protest pull back quail qualm qualm of conscience qualmishness quarter rest quiet spell recess recoil red tape red-tapeism red-tapery relief remission reprieve respite rest resting point retardance retardation retreat rising terminal sandhi scruple scrupulosity scrupulousness segno semicolon shilly-shally shrink shrinking shy shy at shyness sign signature sixteenth rest slow-up slowdown slowness slur spell stand-down stay stay of execution stick at stickle stickling stop stop for breath stop to consider stoppage straddle the fence strain strain at surcease suspend suspension swell symbol take a break take a recess take a rest take five take ten take time out tea break tempo mark terminal think twice about tie tie-up time lag time off time out time signature truce vacation vinculum wait waver wince withdraw word boundary yield