hi ‧ a ‧ tus /haɪˈeɪtəs/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: hiare 'to yawn' ]
1 . formal a break or ↑ interrupt ion in an activity:
Talks between the two countries have resumed after a six-year hiatus.
hiatus in
a hiatus in research
a brief/short/long hiatus
There was a brief hiatus in the war.
2 . technical a space where something is missing, especially in a piece of writing