Standard Lemma guide

stoppage

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • CMU ARPABET: S T AA1 P IH0 JH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A pause or halt of some activity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hiatus, moratorium, recess, break, breather, cessation, demurral, gap, caesura, halt, halting, interregnum, interruption, lapse, pause, respite, resting, stoppage, stopping, suspension

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something that forms an obstacle to continued activity; a blockage or obstruction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jam

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

the act of stopping something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the third baseman made some remarkable stops
  • his stoppage of the flow resulted in a flood

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: act, deed, human action, human activity

Narrower terms: standdown, stand-down, hemostasis, haemostasis, hemostasia, haemostasia

4

noun

Meaning 4

an obstruction in a pipe or tube

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • we had to call a plumber to clear out the blockage in the drainpipe

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: blockage, block, closure, occlusion, stop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: obstruction, obstructor, obstructer, impediment, impedimenta

Narrower terms: breechblock, breech closer, plug, stopper, stopple, vapor lock, vapour lock

5

noun

Meaning 5

the state of inactivity following an interruption

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the negotiations were in arrest
  • held them in check
  • during the halt he got some lunch
  • the momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow
  • he spent the entire stop in his seat

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arrest, check, halt, hitch, stay, stop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inaction, inactivity, inactiveness

Narrower terms: countercheck, logjam

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English stop Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English stoppage From stop + -age.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: спиране (spirane) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Bulgarian: прекратяване (prekratjavane) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Catalan: aturada — pause or halt of some activity
  • Chinese Mandarin: 停機 /停机 (tíngjī) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Czech: přerušení — pause or halt of some activity
  • Czech: zastavení — pause or halt of some activity
  • Czech: zaražení — pause or halt of some activity
  • Finnish: seisokki — pause or halt of some activity
  • Finnish: katkos — pause or halt of some activity
  • Manx: stholk — pause or halt of some activity
  • Manx: stad — pause or halt of some activity
  • Manx: sthappal — pause or halt of some activity
  • Manx: neuhaaley — pause or halt of some activity
  • Russian: остано́вка (ostanóvka) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Russian: просто́й (prostój) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Russian: заде́ржка (zadéržka) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Spanish: parada — pause or halt of some activity
  • Spanish: paro — pause or halt of some activity
  • Tamil: நிறுத்தம் (niṟuttam) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Telugu: ఆపుదల (āpudala) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Telugu: నిలుపుదల (nilupudala) — pause or halt of some activity
  • Turkish: sekte — pause or halt of some activity
  • Bulgarian: задръжка (zadrǎžka) — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Catalan: bloqueig — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Czech: překážka — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Czech: dopravní zácpa — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Finnish: este — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Finnish: tukos — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Russian: загво́здка (zagvózdka) — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Spanish: bloqueo — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Tamil: தடை (taṭai) — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
  • Tamil: தடுப்பு (taṭuppu) — something that forms an obstacle to continued activity
Real reading context

stoppage in complete knowledge articles

Lamont Peterson People & society · Developing · 9 uses Francimar Barroso Arts & music · Advanced · 6 uses PFL 5 (2021) Ideas & learning · Challenging · 2 uses Shakiel Thompson People & society · Challenging · 2 uses