plural pauses
1
: a temporary stop : a period of time in which something is stopped before it is started again
There was a brief/long pause in the conversation.
After a pause the teacher continued the lesson.
He talked for over an hour without pause. [=without pausing or stopping]
2
: a control that you use when you want to stop a recorded song, movie, etc., for a short time
He hit pause on the player and explained the significance of the song's lyrics.
Please hit the pause button on the remote control.
3
music
: the sign that is placed over or under a musical note, rest, etc., to show that it should be held longer than usual
pauses; paused; pausing
1
: to stop doing something for a short time before doing it again
She paused for a few seconds before crossing the street.
We paused briefly to look at the scenery.
He talked for over an hour without pausing.
2
: to cause (a recorded song, movie, etc.) to stop for a short time by pushing a button on a device
He picked up the remote control and paused the movie.
Cite this Entry
“Pause.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/pause. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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