interval; break; rift (in clouds)
Refers to a gap or opening in something continuous, such as a break in clouds, a pause in conversation, or a gap in a schedule.
I saw blue sky through a break in the clouds.
I drink coffee during a break in work.
Compound of 切れ (kire, 'cutting, break') and 間 (ma, 'interval, space'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word literally means 'cut interval'.