hiatus
[ hahy-ey-tuhs ]
/ haɪˈeɪ təs /
|
noun, plural hi·a·tus·es, hi·a·tus.
a break or interruption in the continuity of a work, series, action, etc.
a missing part; gap or lacuna: Scholars attempted to account for the hiatus in the medieval manuscript.
any gap or opening.
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.
Anatomy. a natural fissure, cleft, or foramen in a bone or other structure.
Nearby words
Origin of hiatus
1555–65; < Latin hiātus opening, gap, equivalent to hiā(re) to gape, open + -tus suffix of v. action
Related formshi·a·tal, adjective
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for hiatal
hiatus
/ (haɪˈeɪtəs) /
noun plural -tuses or -tus
(esp in manuscripts) a break or gap where something is missing
a break or interruption in continuity
a break between adjacent vowels in the pronunciation of a word
anatomy a natural opening or aperture; foramen
anatomy a less common word for vulva
Derived Formshiatal, adjective
Word Origin for hiatus
C16: from Latin: gap, cleft, aperture, from hiāre to gape, yawn
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medicine definitions for hiatal
hiatus
[ hī-ā′təs ]
n. pl. hiatus
An aperture or fissure in an organ or a body part.
A foramen.
Related formshi•a′tal adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.