hiatus

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin hiātus (“opening”) (mid-16th century), from hiō (“stand open, yawn”).

noun

1. A gap in a series, making it incomplete.
2. An interruption, break or pause.
   The band decided to go on hiatus, citing creative differences.
3. An unexpected break from work.
   Berserk's hiatus is never going to end now...
4. (geology) A gap in geological strata.
   The beginning of the Mesozoic Era on the Colorado Plateau is marked by a regional hiatus or break of sedimentary deposition that lasted about 25 to 30 Ma. 2012, Chinle Miller, “The Tectonic Forces of the Mesozoic”, in In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition, page 33
5. (anatomy) An opening in an organ.
   Hiatus aorticus is an opening in the diaphragm through which aorta and thoracic duct pass.
6. (linguistics, uncountable) A syllable break between two vowels, without an intervening consonant. (Compare diphthong.)
   Words like reality and naïve contain vowels in hiatus.
7. A temporary absence from the public or the mainstream.