Link Centre Dictionary

wait

UK/weɪt/ US/weɪt/ very common informal uk us
verb (4) noun (2)

verb

1.

stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

  • “I had to wait on line for an hour to get the tickets”
2.
3.

look forward to the probable occurrence of

  • “We were expecting a visit from our relatives”
  • “She is looking to a promotion”
  • “he is waiting to be drafted”
Synonyms
4.

serve as a waiter in a restaurant

  • “I”
  • “s”

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 waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

  • “the wait was an ordeal for him”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch. In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.

Phrases

  • busy wait
  • lie in wait
  • lying in wait
  • two-week wait
  • wait for
  • wait time
  • wait unemployment

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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.