delay
A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.
Noun
- 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. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 25:17:
- 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) - 2014, Dave Hunter, Guitar Amps and Effects For Dummies, page 259:
- Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
Synonyms: promise
- An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.
Origin
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.
Forms
Synonyms
cunctation hold-up deferment delay dilation detain hinder hesitance hesitancy hesitation holdoff postponement prorogation respite retard
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related
Derived
broadcast delay call delay danger in delay delay differential equation delay line delay slot delay tactic delay time language delay multidelay predelay profanity delay propagation delay rain delay round-trip delay time Shapiro delay tape delay time-delay time delay
Verb Entry 2
- To put off until a later time; to defer.
- My lord delayeth his coming. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 24:48:
- 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...
- To wait, hesitate, tarry.
- Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!
- Don't delay Something tells me I gotta go away - 2009, Ingrid Michaelson, “Once Was Love”, in Everybody:
- To allay; to temper.
- The watery showers delay the raging wind. - a. 1547, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, The faithful Lover declareth his Pains and his uncertain Joys, and with only Hope recomforteth somewhat his woful Heart:
Forms
Synonyms
adjourn defer forslow penelopize postpone put off put on ice suspend waive belate detain get in the way of hold up impede procrastinate calm moderate quell
Derived
delayability delayable delayal delayed critical delayed criticality delayed ejaculation delayed miscarriage delayed neutron delayed-onset muscle soreness delayed onset muscle soreness delayed puberty delayed sleep phase disorder delayer delayingly delaying tactic delayism delay no more justice delayed is justice denied nondelaying redelay undelaying
Verb obsolete
- To dilute, temper.
- To assuage, quench, allay.
- Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […]. - 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie,...
Origin
From Middle English delaien, from Old French delaiier, a variant of delaissier.