delay

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To make something happen later than planned, or to do it later than you should.

   Bad weather delayed our flight by three hours.

2. 2
   noun

   A period of time when something is made to wait or happens later than expected.

   There was a long delay before the train finally arrived.

3. 3
   verb

   To wait or move slowly; to put off doing something.

   Don't delay; this special offer ends tonight!

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…

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