Main Entry: abey·ance

Pronunciation: \ə-ˈbā-ən(t)s\

Function: noun

Etymology: Anglo-French, from Old French abaer to expect, await, literally, to gape, from a- + baer to gape, yawn — more at BAY

Date: 1640

1 : a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested
2 : temporary inactivity : suspension

— abey·ant \-ənt\ adjective