delay

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   time during which some action is awaited

   instant replay caused too long a delay

2. 2
   verb

   cause to be slowed down or delayed

   Traffic was delayed by the bad weather

3. 3
   verb

   act later than planned, scheduled, or required

   Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered

4. 4
   noun

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

   the delay before the echo of a sound

5. 5
   noun

   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)

6. 6
   verb

   To put off until a later time; to defer.

   My lord delayeth his coming.

7. 7
   verb

   To retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder.

   The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.

8. 8
   verb

   To wait, hesitate, tarry.

   Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!

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…