| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | break, recess |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, abeyancy, break-off, breather, breathing spell, cessation, doldrums, dormancy, downtime, interim, interlude, interregnum, interruption, interval, latency, layoff, let-up, lull, parenthesis, pause, quiescence, quiescency, respite, rest, spell, stop, stoppage, suspense, suspension, time, time-out, wait |
| Main Entry: | adjournment |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | discontinuation or delay of a proceeding |
| Synonyms: | break, deferment, deferral, intermission, interruption, pause, postponement, prorogation, putting off, recess, stay, suspension |
| Antonyms: | beginning, commencement, continuance |
| Main Entry: | break |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | interruption of activity |
| Synonyms: | apnea, blow, breather, breathing space, caesura, coffee break, cutoff, downtime, halt, hiatus, interlude, intermission, interval, lacuna, layoff, letup, lull, pause, recess, respite, rest, suspension, ten, time off, time out |
| Notes: | to brake is to slow or stop while break is to cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently, smash or crack |
| Antonyms: | continuation, continuity |
| Main Entry: | cessation |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | ending |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, arrest, break, break-off, breather, cease, ceasing, close, conclusion, cutoff, desistance, discontinuance, downtime, end, finish, freeze*, grinding halt, halt, halting, hiatus, intermission, interruption, interval, layoff, let-up, pause, recess, remission, respite, rest, screaming halt, standstill, stay, stop, stoppage, suspension, termination, time off, time-out |
| Antonyms: | beginning, commencement, start |
| Main Entry: | discontinuance |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | stop, suspension of activity |
| Synonyms: | adjournment, alternation, cease, cessation, close, closing, desistance, desuetude, discontinuation, disjunction, disruption, ending, finish, intermission, interruption, separation, stopping, termination |
| Antonyms: | continuation, restarting, retry |
| Main Entry: | downtime |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | time during which an activity is stopped |
| Synonyms: | break, breathing spell, free time, freedom, halt, interim, interlude, intermission, letup, lull, pause, recess, repose, respite, rest, spare time, spell, stay, suspension, time on one's hands, time out, time to burn, time to kill |
| Main Entry: | gap |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | break, breach |
| Synonyms: | aperture, arroyo, blank, caesura, canyon, chasm, cleft, clove, crack, cranny, crevice, cut, defile, difference, disagreement, discontinuity, disparity, divergence, divide, division, fracture, gorge, gulch, gully, hiatus, hole, hollow, inconsistency, interlude, intermission, interruption, interspace, interstice, interval, lacuna, lull, notch, opening, orifice, pause, ravine, recess, rent, respite, rest, rift, rupture, separation, slit, slot, space, vacuity, void |
| Antonyms: | closure |
| Main Entry: | interlude |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | pause, break |
| Synonyms: | breathing space, delay, episode, halt, hiatus, idyll, interim, intermission, interregnum, interruption, interval, lull, meantime, meanwhile, parenthesis, recess, respite, rest, spell, stop, stoppage, wait |
| Notes: | an interval is a gap in time or space, whereas an interlude (literally 'between games') generally functions to fill such a gap, thus occupy an interval |
| Antonyms: | continuation |
| Main Entry: | interruption |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | break; interference |
| Synonyms: | abeyance, abeyancy, arrest, blackout, breach, break-off, cessation, check, cutoff, delay, disconnection, discontinuance, disruption, dissolution, disturbance, disuniting, division, doldrums, dormancy, gap, halt, hiatus, hindrance, hitch, impediment, interim, intermission, interval, intrusion, lacuna, latency, layoff, letup, obstacle, obstruction, parenthesis, pause, quiescence, rift, rupture, separation, severance, split, stop, stoppage, suspension |
| Antonyms: | continuation |