Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Sports A brief cessation of play at the request of a sports team or an official for rest, consultation, or making substitutions.
  • noun A short break from work or play.
  • noun A corrective measure or punishment for young children in which they are separated from others for a brief period.
  • noun The place, especially a chair, used for such a measure or punishment.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun sports A short break in the action of a sport, for substitution, consultation, etc.
  • noun A break from a tense, heated or stressful situation (often enforced, sometimes as a disciplinary measure); a cooling-off period.
  • noun communication The intentional ending of an incomplete task after a time limit considered a long enough for it to end normally.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a brief suspension of play

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • We were getting murdered in the middle of the third quarter when he called a time-out.

    In the Time of Bobby Cox Lang Whitaker 2011

  • We were getting murdered in the middle of the third quarter when he called a time-out.

    In the Time of Bobby Cox Lang Whitaker 2011

  • He shot a line drive at the front of the iron and the ball bounced straight into my hands; I called time-out while I was catching it.

    Chuck Klosterman on Sports Chuck Klosterman 2009

  • He shot a line drive at the front of the iron and the ball bounced straight into my hands; I called time-out while I was catching it.

    Chuck Klosterman on Sports Chuck Klosterman 2009

  • He shot a line drive at the front of the iron and the ball bounced straight into my hands; I called time-out while I was catching it.

    Chuck Klosterman on Sports Chuck Klosterman 2009

  • He shot a line drive at the front of the iron and the ball bounced straight into my hands; I called time-out while I was catching it.

    Chuck Klosterman on Sports Chuck Klosterman 2009

  • He shot a line drive at the front of the iron and the ball bounced straight into my hands; I called time-out while I was catching it.

    Can I Tell You Something Weird? Chuck Klosterman 2004

  • Someone called a time-out, and we each gathered a pile of ammunition to bring behind our respective ramparts.

    Waiting for Snow in Havana Carlos Eire 2003

  • Less than a minute into the third quarter, Hornets coach Monty Williams was calling time-out, sensing the game was slipping away.

    The Seattle Times 2012

  • He feared along with some other scientists that the shutting-in of the well with this new cap could make the spill worse, and he called time-out.

    The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - washingtonpost.com 2011

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