respite

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A usually short interval of rest or relief. See Synonyms at pause.
2. n. Law Temporary suspension of a death sentence; a reprieve.
3. v. To delay; postpone.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Respect; regard. See respect.
2. n. Temporary intermission of labor, or of any process or operation; interval of rest; pause.
3. n. A putting off or postponement of what was fixed; delay; forbearance; prolongation of time, as for the payment of a debt, beyond the fixed or legal time.
4. n. In law: A reprieve; temporary suspension of the execution of a capital offender. See reprieve.
5. n. The delay of appearance at court granted to a jury beyond the proper term. Synonyms Stop, cessation, stay.
6. To delay; postpone; adjourn.
7. To relieve for a time from the execution of a sentence or other punishment or penalty; reprieve.
8. To relieve by a pause or interval of rest.
9. To cease; forbear.
10. Synonyms See reprieve, n.

Wiktionary

1. n. A brief interval of rest or relief.
2. n. law A reprieve, especially from a sentence of death.
3. v. transitive To delay or postpone.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A putting off of that which was appointed; a postponement or delay.
2. n. Temporary intermission of labor, or of any process or operation; interval of rest; pause; delay.
3. n. Temporary suspension of the execution of a capital offender; reprieve.
4. n. The delay of appearance at court granted to a jury beyond the proper term.
5. v. To delay or postpone; to put off.
6. v. To keep back from execution; to reprieve.
7. v. To relieve by a pause or interval of rest.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a pause from doing something (as work)
2. v. postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an execution
3. n. a (temporary) relief from harm or discomfort
4. n. an interruption in the intensity or amount of something
5. n. the act of reprieving; postponing or remitting punishment
6. n. a pause for relaxation