pause
/poːz/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.00 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To halt the play or playback of, temporarily, so that it can be resumed from the same point.
Transitive verb
noun
A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
noun
A short time for relaxing and doing something else.
Example Sentences
- "The general public could therefore have been forgiven for thinking that work on the new station had stopped. But pausing work on an active construction site of this size is not straightforward."
- "When telling the scary story, he paused for effect."
- "Tarry, pause a day or two."
- "pausing a while thus to herself she mused"
- "She paused and took a defiant breath. ‘If you don't believe me, I can't help it. But I'm not a liar.’ ¶ ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough![…]What about the kid's clothes? I don't suppose they were anything to write home about, but didn't you keep anything? A bootee or a bit of embroidery or anything at all?’"
- "Will this affect HS2 and other major projects? [...] Work at the majority of sites has paused, although some staff may be present to ensure the safety and security of these sites and to make safety assessments. [...]"
Etymology
From Middle French pause, from Latin pausa, from Ancient Greek παῦσις (paûsis), from Ancient Greek παύω (paúō, “stop”), of uncertain origin. Doublet of pausa.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /poːz/
- British English: /pɔːz/