HIATUS

hiatus. Hiatus, n. an aperture, breach, cleft, gap, opening

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Hi‐a″tus (?), n.; pl. L. Hiatus, E. Hiatuses (#). [[L., fr. hiare, hiatum, to gape; akin to E. yawn. See Yawn.]] 1. 1. An opening; an aperture; a gap; a chasm; esp., a defect in a manuscript, where some part is lost or effaced; a space where something is wanting; a break.
2. 2. (Gram.) The concurrence of two vowels in two successive words or syllables. Pope.