time-out

or time·out

[ tahym-out ]
/ ˈtaɪmˈaʊt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR time-out ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural time-outs.

a brief suspension of activity; intermission or break.
Sports. a short interruption in a regular period of play during which a referee or other official stops the clock so that the players may rest, deliberate, make substitutions, etc.

Origin of time-out

First recorded in 1870–75

Words nearby time-out

time-honoured, time-lag, time-lapse, time-lapse photography, time-of-flight mass spectroscopy, time-out, time-poor, time-release, time-saving, time-sensitive, time-served

Words related to time out

meantime, interruption, interval, lull, layoff, intermission, spell, hiatus, letup, breather, hush, calmness, respite, time-out, recess, hesitation, halt, stoppage, lapse, interlude

British Dictionary definitions for time out

time-out

noun

sport an interruption in play during which players rest, discuss tactics, or make substitutions
a break taken during working hours
computing a condition occurring when the amount of time a computer has been instructed to wait for another device to perform a task has expired, usually indicated by an error message

verb time out

(intr) (of a computer) to stop operating because of a time-out

Idioms and Phrases with time out

time out

A short break from work or play; also, a punishment for misbehavior in young children in which they are briefly separated from the group. For example, People rush around so much these days that I think everyone should take some time out now and then, or We don't throw food, Brian; you need some time out to think about it. This expression comes from a number of sports in which it signifies an interruption in play where the officials stop the clock, for purposes of rest, making a substitution, or consultation. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.