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pause
[ pawz ]
/ pɔz /
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noun
verb (used without object), paused, paus·ing.
to make a brief stop or delay; wait; hesitate: He paused at the edge of the pool for a moment. I'll pause in my lecture so we can all get some coffee.
to dwell or linger (usually followed by on or upon): to pause upon a particular point.
OTHER WORDS FOR pause
QUIZ
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Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Idioms about pause
give pause, to cause to hesitate or be unsure, as from surprise or doubt: These frightening statistics give us pause.
Origin of pause
1400–50; (noun) Middle English <Latin pausa<Greek paûsis a halt, equivalent to paú(ein) to stop + -sis-sis; (v.) derivative of the noun
OTHER WORDS FROM pause
Words nearby pause
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pause in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for pause
pause
/ (pɔːz) /
verb (intr)
to cease an action temporarily; stop
to hesitate; delayshe replied without pausing
noun
a temporary stop or rest, esp in speech or action; short break
prosody another word for caesura
Also called: fermata music a continuation of a note or rest beyond its normal lengthUsual symbol:
give pause to to cause to hesitate
Derived forms of pause
pausal, adjectivepauser, nounpausing, noun, adjectiveWord Origin for pause
C15: from Latin pausa pause, from Greek pausis, from pauein to halt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pause
pause
see give pause.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.