Sentence:  If the afternoon was fine they strolled together in the park, very slowly, and with <WSD>pauses</WSD> to draw breath wherever the ground sloped upward. The slightest effort made the patient cough. He would stand leaning on a stick and holding a hand to his side, and when the paroxysm had passed it left him shaking. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation.