Pause Meaning
Pause Definition & Usage
To stop temporarily or briefly in action or movement.
Examples
- "She paused for a moment before answering the question."
- "The teacher paused the video to explain a concept."
- "He paused the game to take a phone call."
- "The car paused at the red light before continuing."
- "I paused my reading when I heard a strange noise outside."
To temporarily halt or stop a device or machine, often for a brief period.
Examples
- "Please pause the download until after the meeting."
- "The video player has a button to pause playback."
- "He paused the music to answer the phone."
- "The system automatically pauses when an error is detected."
- "The device will pause if the temperature exceeds safe limits."
A temporary stop or break in action or activity.
Examples
- "Let's take a short pause before continuing with the meeting."
- "She took a pause to gather her thoughts."
- "The play had a brief pause after the first act."
- "There was a pause in the conversation when he entered the room."
- "He asked for a pause in the game to discuss strategy."
Cultural Context
The word 'pause' has origins in Latin and was adopted into Old French and later Middle English. It has been used in various contexts to denote a temporary stop, both in everyday speech and technical language. In modern culture, pauses are often used to indicate reflection, rest, or a moment of tension, particularly in conversations, performances, and media.
The Pause Between Us
Story
The Pause Between Us
It was a quiet evening, the kind that invited contemplation. Sarah sat by the window, her fingers resting on the edge of her book, but her mind was elsewhere. She had paused her reading several times in the last hour, each time lost in a different thought. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting soft golden light across the room, but she wasn’t really seeing it. Her thoughts were on the conversation she’d had earlier with her brother, Tom. Earlier that day, Tom had called her to discuss a family issue. He’d said something that had left her feeling unsettled. Sarah had paused the call midway, unable to respond, needing time to process what he had said. Now, sitting quietly, she found herself in another pause, this one without an obvious trigger. Sometimes, the pause between thoughts can be just as significant as the thoughts themselves. Just then, a faint beep interrupted her reverie. Sarah glanced at her phone. A message from Tom, ‘I think we need to pause and rethink everything we talked about. Can we talk again tomorrow?’ Sarah smiled, but there was a bittersweetness to it. She understood. Sometimes, the best way to move forward was to pause, take a step back, and reflect. Even in the middle of life’s busyness, a pause could offer clarity. She glanced at the book she had been reading, deciding to pick it up again. But before she could, she paused and thought: maybe it was time for a real break, a break from everything. Perhaps tomorrow, she’d pause everything – work, phone calls, distractions – and spend the day outside, breathing fresh air. She felt an urge to hit pause on the world for a little while. Maybe it wasn’t about stopping everything, but just about taking time to reset. And so, with a final thought of her brother’s message, she opened the book again, and for the first time all evening, she truly felt the quiet of the room. The pause had been long enough, and now she was ready to continue.
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