delay

nounverbverbcommon in dialogue

//dɪˈleɪ̯//
/[dɪˈleɪ̯]/
//dəˈleɪ̯//
/[dəˈleɪ̯]/

A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.

noun

1
A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
the delay before the echo of a sound
Two twenty minutes' delays.
Without any delay, on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.
The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.
2
An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.
The 8-bit sound quality of many early delays did indeed leave a lot to be desired (compare this to the 16-bit digital technology of CDs)
3
Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
4
An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.

Etymology

From Middle English delaien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman delaier, Old French deslaier, from des- + Old French laier (“to leave”), a conflation of Old Frankish *lattjan ("to delay, hinder"; from Proto-Germanic *latjaną (“to delay, hinder, stall”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, leave behind”)), and Old Frankish *laibijan ("to leave"; from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to leave, cause to stay”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to remain, continue”)). Doublet of dally. Akin to Old English latian (“to delay, hesitate”), Old English latu (“a delay, a hindrance”), Old English lǣfan (“to leave”). More at let (to hinder), late, leave.

verb

1
To put off until a later time; to defer.
My lord delayeth his coming.
2
To retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder.
The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.
3
To wait, hesitate, tarry.
Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!
Don't delay Something tells me I gotta go away
4
obsoleteTo allay; to temper.
The watery showers delay the raging wind.

verb

1
obsoleteTo dilute, temper.
2
obsoleteTo assuage, quench, allay.
Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […].

Etymology

From Middle English delaien, from Old French delaiier, a variant of delaissier.

Forms

plural: delays
past tense: delayed
past participle: delayed
present participle: delaying
third person singular: delays

Del · A diminutive of the male given name Derek.Delaney · A surname from Old French.Delaware · A river flowing from the Catskills through New York,…

delay · A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.

Delay · A surname.delayed · Happening later than is usual, expected, or desired.delegate · A person authorized to act as representative for another; a…

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