timeout

American  

[tahym-out] / ˈtaɪmˈaʊt /

Or time-out

noun

timeouts plural

1. a brief suspension of activity; intermission or break.

2. Sports. a short interruption in a regular period of play during which a referee or other official stops the clock so that the players may rest, deliberate, make substitutions, etc.

3. a short time alone used as a punishment or consequence for a child who is misbehaving.

4. Computers.

   1. the termination of a process or event that is taking longer than expected to proceed, and that is more likely to be successful if relaunched, resubmitted, etc.

   2. the severing of an online connection after a period of inactivity, as when a user is logged out of a secure session on a webpage after a fixed period of time.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• timeouts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of timeout

First recorded in 1870–75; time ( def. ) + out ( def. )

Example Sentences

He took a mid-game medical timeout and left the court at the end of the third and fourth sets, but could not regain his fitness as he fell to world number 56 Cerundolo.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Sinner could be heard saying he felt "dizzy" and like he "wanted to vomit" and took a mid-game medical timeout before returning to court.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

The Lakers called another timeout to set up another play with their season on the line.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Four ways to tackle football's frustrating 'tactical timeout'

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

The world will give you that once in a while, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd