timeout

American

[tahym-out] / ˈtaɪmˈaʊt /

Or time-out

noun

plural

timeouts

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.
a short time alone used as a punishment or consequence for a child who is misbehaving.
Computers.
1. the termination of a process or event that is taking longer than expected to proceed, and that is more likely to be successful if relaunched, resubmitted, etc.
2. the severing of an online connection after a period of inactivity, as when a user is logged out of a secure session on a webpage after a fixed period of time.

Etymology

Origin of timeout

First recorded in 1870–75; time ( def. ) + out ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Kings called a timeout, allowing the Lakers and their fans to soak in the moment.

From Los Angeles Times

The Suns then called a timeout to set up O’Neale’s winning shot.

From Los Angeles Times

Lakers coach JJ Redick was forced to call a timeout after Oso Ighodaro rolled in for an uncontested dunk, putting the Lakers down 96-86 with 7:43 seconds left.

From Los Angeles Times

Desmond Bane answered with a three-pointer for a 108-107 lead that forced the Lakers to call a timeout with 34.6 seconds left.

From Los Angeles Times

However, Ifab is not expected to pass any resolution to tackle the tactical timeout.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023