Word of the Day

: September 11, 2013

respite

noun RESS-pit

What It Means

1 : a period of temporary delay

2 : an interval of rest or relief

respite in Context

The station's meteorologist had predicted that the bad weather would continue throughout the week without respite.

"Welcome to the Garden for Good, where 30 inmates-trained as Kansas Master Gardeners-find respite from the harsh realities of life behind bars." - From an article in the Kiowa County Signal (Greensburg, Kansas), August 14, 2013

Did You Know?

Originally, beginning in the late 13th century, a respite was a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason-to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal, for example. Such a respite offered an opportunity for the kind of consideration inherent in the word's etymology. "Respite" traces from the Latin term "respectus," which comes from a verb meaning, both literally and figuratively, "to turn around to look at" or "to regard." By the 14th century, we had granted "respite" the sense we use most often today-"a welcome break."