hiatus

noun

1. 1

   A gap in a series, making it incomplete.

2. 2

   An interruption, break or pause.

3. 3

   An unexpected break from work.

4. 4

   A gap in geological strata.

5. 5

   An opening in an organ.

   “Hiatus aorticus is an opening in the diaphragm through which aorta and thoracic duct pass.”

6. 6

   A syllable break between two vowels, without an intervening consonant. (Compare diphthong.)

   “Words like reality and naïve contain vowels in hiatus.”