time out
also time-out
Word forms: time outs
1. variable noun
In basketball, American football, ice hockey, and some other sports, when a team calls a time out, they call a stop to the game for a few minutes in order to rest and discuss how they are going to play.
2. uncountable noun [NOUN to-infinitive]
If you take time out from a job or activity, you have a break from it and do something different instead.
He took time out from campaigning to accompany his mother to dinner. [+ from]
...women returning to the labour market after time out to raise young families.
Image of time out
© Steven Leon Day, Shutterstock