/in'teuhr mish"euhn/ , n.
1. a short interval between the acts of a play or parts of a public performance, usually a period of approximately 10 or 15 minutes, allowing the performers and audience a rest.
2. a period during which action temporarily ceases; an interval between periods of action or activity: They studied for hours without an intermission.
3. the act or fact of intermitting; state of being intermitted: to work without intermission.
[ 1400-50; late ME intermission- (s. of intermissio ) interruption, equiv. to intermiss ( us ) (ptp. of intermittere to INTERMIT) + -ion- -ION ]