pause / pôz/ • n. a temporary stop in action or speech: she dropped me outside during a brief pause in the rain| the admiral chattered away without pause. ∎  Mus. a mark ([pauseo]) over a note or rest that is to be lengthened by an unspecified amount. ∎  (also pause button) a control allowing the temporary interruption of an electronic (or mechanical) process, esp. video or audio recording or reproduction.• v. [intr.] interrupt action or speech briefly: she paused, at a loss for words. ∎  [tr.] temporarily interrupt the operation of (a videotape, audiotape, or computer program): she had paused a tape on the VCR.PHRASES: give someone pause cause someone to think carefully or hesitate before doing something: public outrage has given him pause.

pause (Eng.).
1. The sign ⩀ which means that the note or rest so indicated must be held longer than usual (at performer's discretion). Placed over a bar line, it means a short silence. The Fr. term is point d'orgue
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2. In the phrase General Pause (G.P.) it means the whole orch. is briefly silent.

pause sb. XV. — (O)F. pause or L. pausa — Gr. paûsis, f. paúein stop, cease.
So pause vb. XVI. — F. pauser or L. pausāre.

Pause (Ger.).
1. A pause, as in Eng.

2. Rest.

3. Interval of a concert.

pause (Fr.).
1. Pause.

2. Rest, especially a whole-note rest and a measure rest.