cease-fire n : a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms [syn: armistice, truce]

See more meaning on Cease-fire...

A ceasefire (or truce) is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces. An armistice is a formal agreement to end fighting.

During World War I, on December 24, 1914, there was an unofficial ceasefire as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany observed Christmas. No treaty was signed, and the war resumed after a few days.

On January 15, 1973, President Richard Nixon ordered a ceasefire of the aerial bombings in North Vietnam. The decision came after Dr Henry Kissinger, the National Security Affairs advisor to the president, returned to Washington from Paris France with a draft peace proposal. Combat missions continued in South Vietnam. By January 27, 1973, all warring parties in the Vietnam War signed a ceasefire as a prelude to the Paris Peace Accord.

• Have Occidental's Executives Called a Cease-Fire?
  Could this calm among Occidental's top brass finally lift shares?         Read more on this news related to 'Cease-fire'
• Photos: Israeli military trains at Syrian border
  Israeli soldiers train near the cease-fire line between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights on Monday, May 6. Concern over the possibility of a broader war in the Middle East has grown in the wake of reported weekend airstrikes on Syrian military installations. Read more on this news related to 'Cease-fire'
• 4 UN peackeepers taken hostage in Syria
  Four U.N. peacekeepers monitoring the cease-fire line between Syria and the Golan Heights have been detained by unknown captors, a U.N. spokeswoman said. Read more on this news related to 'Cease-fire'