hiatus Hear it!

hiatus definition

hia·tus (hī āt′əs)

noun pl. hiatuses -·tuses or hiatus -·tus

  1. a break where a part is missing or lost, as in a manuscript; gap in a sequence; lacuna
  2. any gap or interruption, as in continuity or time
  3. Phonet. a slight pause in pronunciation between two successive vowels in adjacent words or syllables, as between the sounds represented by the successive e's in he entered and reenter

Etymology: L, pp. of hiare, to gape < IE base *ĝhē-, ĝhēi- > gap, gasp

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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