hiatus - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education
Reference
Dictionary
Encyclopedia
Thesaurus
World Factbook
Spanish Dictionary
Anatomy
Conversion Calculator
 
hi·a·tus  audio  (h-ts) KEY 

NOUN:
pl. hi·a·tus·es or hiatus
  1. A gap or interruption in space, time, or continuity; a break: "We are likely to be disconcerted by . . . hiatuses of thought" (Edmund Wilson).
  2. Linguistics A slight pause that occurs when two immediately adjacent vowels in consecutive syllables are pronounced, as in reality and naive.
  3. Anatomy A separation, aperture, fissure, or short passage in an organ or body part.
ETYMOLOGY:
Latin hitus, from past participle of hire, to gape

OTHER FORMS:
hi·atal  (-tl) KEY (Adjective)


 Visit our partner's site
Provided by Houghton Mifflin
logoeReference -- Download this interactive reference software to your desktop computer