pause

v. to stop what you are doing for a short time before starting again.

v. to cease an action or motion temporarily before resuming.

“She paused for a moment to catch her breath before continuing the climb.”

“The speaker paused significantly after the announcement, allowing the gravity of the news to settle over the assembled audience.”

v. to stop a video or music for a moment so you can play it again from the same spot.

v. to temporarily halt the playback of digital or analog media.

“Can you pause the movie while I go get some water?”

“The software is designed to pause the download automatically if the internet connection becomes unstable.”

n. a short period of time when nothing happens or no one speaks.

n. a temporary interval of silence or inactivity.

“There was a long pause on the phone before he finally answered.”

“A sudden pause in the conversation made everyone in the room feel slightly uncomfortable.”

n. the button on a remote or screen that stops a video or song.

n. a control or icon used to interrupt and later resume a process or media stream.

“Hit pause so we don't miss any of the show.”

“The user interface features a prominent pause icon that toggles to a play symbol when activated.”

n. a mark in music that tells the player to hold a note for longer than usual.

n. a sign indicating the prolongation of a note or rest beyond its nominal value.

“The conductor held the pause until the last echo died away in the hall.”

“The composer placed a pause over the final chord to create a sense of unresolved tension before the movement concluded.”

Technical

interj. you say this after a sentence that might sound like a joke about sex to show you didn't mean it that way.

interj. used as a pragmatic marker to disclaim any unintended sexual innuendo in a preceding statement.

“That banana is huge, pause.”

“After realizing his comment about the athlete's physique could be misinterpreted, he quickly added 'pause' to the end of his sentence.”

Slang · Informal