hiatus

American  

[hahy-ey-tuhs] / haɪˈeɪ təs /

noun

plural

hiatuses, hiatus

1. a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.

2. a missing part; gap or lacuna.

   Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.

3. any gap or opening.

   Synonyms:

   space, interval, break

4. Grammar, Prosody. the coming together, with or without break or slight pause, and without contraction, of two vowels in successive words or syllables, as in see easily.

5. Anatomy. a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.

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hiatus British  

/ haɪˈeɪtəs /

noun

1. (esp in manuscripts) a break or gap where something is missing

2. a break or interruption in continuity

3. a break between adjacent vowels in the pronunciation of a word

4. anatomy a natural opening or aperture; foramen

5. anatomy a less common word for vulva

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Other Word Forms

• hiatal adjective

Etymology

Origin of hiatus

First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin hiātus “opening, gap,” equivalent to hiā(re) “to gape, open” + -tus, noun suffix

Example Sentences

She returned from a 16-month hiatus at the DC Open last July.

From Barron's

The Welshman, who is back in the tournament after a two-year hiatus, beat the world number three 6-2 to continue his impressive start to the year.

From BBC

The 2025 world champion returns to her second Olympic Games with a fresh, mature perspective from a two-year hiatus and has already helped the United States to a gold medal in the team event.

From Los Angeles Times

Next up was the shooting stars competition, which returned to All-Star Weekend after a 10-year hiatus and featured four teams, each consisting of two current NBA players and one retired “legend.”

From Los Angeles Times

The members released solo albums and had individual tours and performances after they went on hiatus in 2022.

From BBC

Related Words

• interval
• lapse