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The cessation of rage, agitation, or tumilt; calmness; quiest; as, the elements were reduced to silence.

The condition of being stagnant; cessation of flowing or circulation, as of a fluid; the state of being motionless; as, the stagnation of the blood; the stagnation of water or air; the stagnation of vapors.

Cessation of motion or progression; stand; stop. Made of sphere metal, never to decay Until his revolution was at stay. Milton. Affairs of state seemed rather to stand at a stay. Hayward.

The act of stopping, or the state of being stopped; hindrance of progress or of action; cessation; repression; interruption; check; obstruction. It is doubtful . . . whether it contributed anything to the stop of the infection. De Foe. Occult qualities put a stop to the improvement of natural philosophy. Sir I. Newton.…

Cessation; stop; end. "Not desire, but its surcease." Longfellow. It is time that there were an end and surcease made of this immodest and deformed manner of writing. Bacon.

Cessation. [Obs.]

Cessation for a time; stop; pause. A cool suspense from pleasure and from pain. Pope.

Especially, temporary delay, interruption, or cessation; as:

A pause or cessation; suspension. [R.] Revely, and dance, and show, Suffer a syncope and solemn pause. Cowper.

The rapid reiteration of tones without any apparent cessation, so as to produce a tremulous effect.

A suspension of arms by agreement of the commanders of opposing forces; a temporary cessation of hostilities, for negotiation or other purpose; an armistice.