PAU
n. countable C2 Proficiency pau
n. a short break or a moment of rest. It is an old word that people rarely use today.
n. a brief period of rest or a pause in activity. Primarily archaic or dialectal in usage.
The workers took a short pau before finishing the job.
After hours of climbing the steep trail, the hikers finally stopped for a pau at the summit.
The narrative structure allows for a brief pau between the chaotic opening scenes and the more contemplative middle section of the novel.
Usage
Typically used in historical or literary contexts; largely replaced by 'pause' or 'break' in modern English.