Link Centre Dictionary

delay

de·lay

UK/dɪˈleɪ̯/ US/dɪˈleɪ̯/ common
verb (4) noun (2)

verb

1.

cause to be slowed down or delayed

  • “Traffic was delayed by the bad weather”
  • “she delayed the work that she didn”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

try to manage without help

  • “The youngsters had to fend for themselves after their parents died”
3.

stop or halt

  • “Please stay the bloodshed!”
Synonyms
4.

slow the growth or development of

  • “The brain damage will retard the child”
Synonyms

noun

1.

time during which some action is awaited

  • “instant replay caused too long a delay”
  • “he ordered a hold in the action”
Synonyms
2.

the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time

Synonyms

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.

Phrases

  • broadcast delay
  • call delay
  • danger in delay
  • delay differential equation
  • delay line
  • delay slot
  • delay tactic
  • delay time
  • delayed critical
  • delayed criticality
  • delayed ejaculation
  • delayed miscarriage

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.