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Word of the Day Archive
Sunday December 5, 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.

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

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."

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for respite

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