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| hi·a·tus [ hī áytəss ] (plural hi·a·tus·es or hi·a·tus) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. unexpected gap: a break in something where there should be continuity
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2. anatomy opening: an opening or aperture in an organ, e.g. the opening in the diaphragm for the esophagus
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3. phonetics separation between vowels: a break in pronunciation between two vowels that are next to each other in consecutive syllables without an intervening consonant, as in "reexamine"
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4. printing omission: a gap where something is missing, especially in manuscripts
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| [Mid-16th century. < Latin, "gaping, opening" < hiare "gape" < Indo-European] |
