tropopause

American  

[trop-uh-pawz, troh-puh-] / ˈtrɒp əˌpɔz, ˈtroʊ pə- /

noun

Meteorology.

1. the boundary, or transitional layer, between the troposphere and the stratosphere.

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tropopause British  

/ ˈtrɒpəˌpɔːz /

noun

1. meteorol the plane of discontinuity between the troposphere and the stratosphere, characterized by a sharp change in the lapse rate and varying in altitude from about 18 km (11 miles) above the equator to 6 km (4 miles) at the Poles

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tropopause Scientific  

/ trō′pə-pôz′,trŏp′ə- /

1. The boundary between the upper troposphere and the lower stratosphere, varying in altitude from about 8 km (5 mi) at the poles to 18 km (11 mi) at the equator.

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Etymology

Origin of tropopause

First recorded in 1915–20; tropo- + pause

Example Sentences

Last week, regulators stepped in twice to pause trading on the Kospi and steady nerves after stocks dropped sharply.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

The bondholders’ idea is to allow select, shock-prone emerging markets to pause external debt payments as a way of dealing with crises.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

I had to pause momentarily while writing this paragraph just to wipe a tear from the corner of my eye.

From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026

In November 2025, the army had to pause its use of the Ajaxes after soldiers became unwell from the noise and vibration issues, with some vomiting after leaving the vehicle.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

I’m busy with my ravenous 'Taniel, who nurses night and day, riding in his sling on one side or the other so he won’t have to pause while I boil his diapers.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver