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Stop vs Pause - What's the difference?

stop | pause |

In intransitive terms the difference between stop and pause

is that stop is to tarry while pause is to hesitate; to hold back; to delay.

In transitive terms the difference between stop and pause

is that stop is to close or block an opening while pause is to halt the play or playback of, temporarily, so that it can be resumed from the same point.

As an adverb stop

is prone to halting or hesitation.

As an interjection stop

is halt! stop.

stop

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) (m), (m), from (etyl) . More at stuff, stump. Alternate etymology derives Proto-Germanic *stupp?n? from an assumed . This derivation, however, is doubtful, as the earliest instances of the Germanic verb do not carry the meaning of "stuff, stop with tow". Rather, these senses developed later in response to influence from similar sounding words in Latin and RomanceThe Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia, "stop"..

Verb

(stopp)
  • (label) To cease moving.
  • * , chapter=5
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.}}
  • (label) To come to an end.
  • (label) To cause (something) to cease moving or progressing.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
  • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) , title= Ideas coming down the track , passage=A “moving platform” scheme
  • (label) To cause (something) to come to an end.
  • (label) To close or block an opening.
  • To adjust the aperture of a camera lens.
  • (label) To stay; to spend a short time; to reside temporarily.
  • * R. D. Blackmore
  • * 1931 , , Mapp & Lucia , chapter 7
  • (label) To tarry.
  • (label) To regulate the sounds of (musical strings, etc.) by pressing them against the fingerboard with the finger, or otherwise shortening the vibrating part.
  • (label) To punctuate.
  • * Landor
  • (label) To make fast; to stopper.
  • Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing)'' or the ''to infinitive. See for more information.
    Synonyms
    * (to cease moving) brake, desist, halt * (to come to an end) blin, cease, desist, discontinue, halt, terminate * (to cause to cease moving) cancel, cease, discontinue, halt, terminate * (to cause to come to an end) blin, cancel, cease, discontinue, halt, terminate
    Antonyms
    * (to cease moving) continue, go, move, proceed * (to come to an end) continue, proceed * (to cause to cease moving) continue, move * (to cause to come to an end) continue, move
    Derived terms
    * stop-and-search / stop-and-frisk * stop by * stopcock * stop down * stop in * stop off * stop out * stop over * stop up * stopwatch * the buck stops here

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A (usually marked) place where line buses, trams or trains halt to let passengers get on and off, usually smaller than a station.
  • An action of stopping; interruption of travel.
  • * De Foe
  • * Sir Isaac Newton
  • * John Locke
  • A device intended to block the path of a moving object; as, a door stop.
  • (label) A consonant sound in which the passage of air through the mouth is temporarily blocked by the lips, tongue, or glottis; a plosive.
  • A symbol used for purposes of punctuation and representing a pause or separating clauses, particularly a full stop, comma, colon or semicolon.
  • That which stops, impedes, or obstructs; an obstacle; an impediment.
  • * Daniel
  • * Rogers
  • A function that halts playback or recording in devices such as videocassette and DVD player.
  • (label) A button that activates the stop function.
  • (label) A knob or pin used to regulate the flow of air in an organ.
  • (label) A very short shot which touches the ground close behind the net and is intended to bounce as little as possible.
  • (label) The depression in a dog’s face between the skull and the nasal bones.
  • (label) An f-stop.
  • (label) A device, or piece, as a pin, block, pawl, etc., for arresting or limiting motion, or for determining the position to which another part shall be brought.
  • (label) A member, plain or moulded, formed of a separate piece and fixed to a jamb, against which a door or window shuts.
  • The diaphragm used in optical instruments to cut off the marginal portions of a beam of light passing through lenses.
  • Synonyms
    * (place for vehicles to load and unload passengers) halt, station * (consonant sound where air is blocked) plosive, occlusive
    Derived terms
    * bus stop * truck stop
    References

    Adverb

    (-)
  • Prone to halting or hesitation.
  • Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • halt! stop!
  • Punctuation

    (en-punctuation mark)
  • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) (m), from (etyl) . See stoup.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small well-bucket; a milk-pail.
  • Statistics

    *

    pause

    English

    Verb

    (paus)
  • To interrupt an activity and wait.
  • When telling the scary story, he paused for effect.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Tarry, pause a day or two.
  • * (John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • pausing while thus to herself she mused
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=15 citation , passage=She paused and took a defiant breath. ‘If you don't believe me, I can't help it. But I'm not a liar.’ ¶ ‘No,’ said Luke, grinning at her. ‘You're not dull enough!
  • To hesitate; to hold back; to delay.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Why doth the Jew pause ? Take thy forfeiture.
  • To halt the play or playback of, temporarily, so that it can be resumed from the same point.
  • to pause a song, a video, or a computer game
  • (obsolete) To consider; to reflect.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • Take time to pause .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.
  • * , chapter=23
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with pauses to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking.}}
  • A short time for relaxing and doing something else.
  • Hesitation; suspense; doubt.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • I stand in pause where I shall first begin.
  • In writing and printing, a mark indicating the place and nature of an arrest of voice in reading; a punctuation mark.
  • A break or paragraph in writing.
  • * (John Locke) (1632-1705)
  • He writes with warmth, which usually neglects method, and those partitions and pauses which men educated in schools observe.
  • (as direct object) take pause': hesitate; give ' pause : cause to hesitate