Sekirov Dictionary

pause

/pɔːz/

noun 6
verb 6
exclamation 1
forms 3
phrases 2

noun6

•
A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
- If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with pauses to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough. — 1918
A short time for relaxing and doing something else.
•
(figurative) Hesitation; suspense; doubt.
- And like a man to double bussines bound, / I stand in pause where I shall first beginne, […] — 1599
A sign indicating continuance of a note or rest.
•
In writing and printing, a mark indicating the place and nature of an arrest of voice in reading; a punctuation mark.
- Teach the pupil to mind the pauses.
•
A break or paragraph in writing.
- He [Paul] is full of the Matter he treats and writes with Warmth, which usually neglects Method, and those Partitions and Pauses which Men educated in the Schools of Rhetoricians usually observe. — 1705

verb6

To take a temporary rest, take a break for a short period after an effort.
•
To stop (an activity) for a while.
- 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. — 2025
•
To interrupt an activity and wait.
- When telling the scary story, he paused for effect.
•
To halt the play or playback of, temporarily, so that it can be resumed from the same point.
- Press Start at any time to pause the game. — 2008
•
To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.
- Why doth the Jew pause? Take thy forfeiture. — 1596
•
(no longer used) To consider; to reflect.
- Take time to pause. — 1595

exclamation1

(slang) Used immediately after a statement to indicate that there was no innuendo or homosexual meaning intended, especially when such a meaning is a reasonable interpretation.

forms

paused · pausing · pauses

Phrases with pause

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