time-out

or time·out

[ tahym-out ]
/ ˈtaɪmˈaʊt /

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

Example sentences from the Web for time-out

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