What does "fermata" mean?

The holding of a note or rest for longer than its usual duration.

What is a synonym for "fermata"?

Common synonyms include: hold, accent, bar, bird's-eye, cancel, character.

Pronounced //ˌfɜːˈmɑːtə//.

/ˌfɜːˈmɑːtə/ noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The holding of a note or rest for longer than its usual duration. countable, uncountable
2
(music) a prolongation of unspecified length on a note or chord or rest wordnet
3
The notation ⟨◌͒⟩ of such a prolongation, usually represented as a dot with a semi-circle above or below it, written above or below the prolonged note or rest. countable
4
a musical notation (over a note or chord or rest) that indicates it is to be prolonged by an unspecified amount wordnet

Borrowed from Italian fermata, from fermare (“to stop”).