Definition of HIATUS

hiatus

Plural: hiatus, hiatuses

Noun

  • A pause, gap, or break in a sequence, series, or process.
  • an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
  • a missing piece (as a gap in a manuscript)
  • a natural opening or perforation through a bone or a membranous structure
  • A gap in a series, making it incomplete.
  • An interruption, break, pause or absence.
  • An temporary break from work, especially one which is unexpected.
  • A gap in geological strata.
  • An opening in an organ.
  • A syllable break between two vowels, without an intervening consonant.

Examples

  • After a long HIATUS from Scrabble, he struggled to remember obscure two-letter words.
  • Hiatus aorticus is an opening in the diaphragm through which aorta and thoracic duct pass.
  • The band decided to go on hiatus, citing creative differences.

Origin / Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin hiātus (“opening”) (mid-16th century), from hiō (“stand open, yawn”).

Scrabble Score: 9

hiatus: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
hiatus: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
hiatus: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

hiatus: valid Words With Friends Word