What does timeout mean?
A timeout is a bounded interruption or termination point in an activity. In sports, it is a break, normally authorized by a coach, player, or official, that allows competitors to rest or reconsider strategy without ending the contest. In computing, a timeout is a period of inactivity or delay after which a session, connection, or process is closed, often to conserve resources or prevent an indefinite wait. In ordinary conversation, people may use timeout for any brief pause taken to recover from a demanding or stressful situation. The word can therefore suggest either a practical limit or a welcome opportunity to regroup. Its usefulness lies in combining the ideas of time and exclusion: an activity continues only until a specified point, after which ordinary rules take effect.
nounA fixed or prescribed period after which an activity must end or be interrupted, especially a temporary break in a game or a session terminated after prolonged inactivity.
- An authorized temporary interruption in a game or other activity.
- A prescribed period after which an activity or session is ended, often because a time limit has been exceeded.
- A period of inactivity after which a computer session, connection, or process is automatically closed.
- A brief break taken by a person or team to rest, regroup, or avoid immediate action.
"The coach called a timeout to stop the momentum and regroup."
"The team used its timeout to adjust its defensive formation."
"After several minutes without input, the system ended the session with a timeout."
The standard plural is “timeouts,” as in “The team took two timeouts.”
"The coach used both timeouts in the final quarter."
A timeout is sport’s neat compromise: the action pauses, but the contest does not.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does timeout come from?
“Timeout” is an English compound formed from “time” and “out.” Its best-known development was in sporting language, where it names a temporary interruption in play rather than the end of the contest. The later computing sense applies the same idea to an inactivity or connection limit. “Time” comes through Old English from Latin tempus, which also underlies forms such as “timely” and “contemporary,” while “out” is Germanic and contributes the idea of ending or exclusion.
Related word forms
How timeout is actually used
In everyday English, “timeout” is often an informal term for a short break. In sports it refers to an authorized interruption, while in computing it usually has a technical meaning involving an inactivity or connection limit. The older spelling “time-out” is still encountered, especially in American usage.
Easily confused with timeout
“Time out” is usually a verb meaning to pause or cease an activity temporarily, whereas “timeout” is a noun naming the prescribed break, limit, or period of inactivity.