noun

1. a short period of inaction; temporary stop, break, or rest, as in speaking or reading
2. hesitation; interruption; delay pursuit without pause
3. 1. a stop or break in speaking or reading, which clarifies meaning
   2. any mark of punctuation indicating this
4. Music
   1. the holding of a tone or rest beyond its written value, at the discretion of the performer
   2. a sign  indicating this, written above the note or rest
5. Prosody a rhythm break or caesura

Etymology: ME pawse < MFr pause < L pausa < Gr pausis, a stopping < pauein, to bring to an end < IE base *paus-, to let go > OPrus pausto, wild

intransitive verb paused, pausing paus′·ing

1. to make a pause; be temporarily inactive; stop; hesitate
2. to dwell or linger: with on or upon

Etymology: Fr pauser < L pausare, to stop < the n.