Timeout

/ˈtaɪmaʊt/ noun

Definition

a brief pause in activity; in sports, a break called by a team; in computing, when a process expires

Etymology

Compound of 'time' + 'out', first used in sports contexts in the early 20th century

Kelly Says

The sports timeout was such a useful concept that it jumped into computing, parenting, and everyday life - sometimes we all need to call a timeout!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.