Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Intermission \In`ter*mis"sion\, n. [L. intermissio: cf. F.
   intermission. See {Intermit}.]
   1. The act or the state of intermitting; the state of being
      neglected or disused; disuse; discontinuance. --B. Jonson.

   2. Cessation for a time; an intervening period of time; an
      interval; a temporary pause; as, to labor without
      intermission; an intermission of ten minutes.

            Rest or intermission none I find.     --Milton.

   3. (Med.) The temporary cessation or subsidence of a fever;
      the space of time between the paroxysms of a disease.
      Intermission is an entire cessation, as distinguished from
      remission, or abatement of fever.

   4. Intervention; interposition. [Obs.] --Heylin.

   Syn: Cessation; interruption; interval; pause; stop; rest;
        suspension. See {Cessation}.

Source : WordNet®

intermission
     n 1: the act of suspending activity temporarily
     2: a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation
        of something [syn: {pause}, {break}, {interruption}, {suspension}]