delay
pronunciation
How to pronounce delay in British English:
UK [dɪˈleɪ]
How to pronounce delay in American English:
US [dɪˈleɪ]
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- Noun:
- time during which some action is awaited
- the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
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- Verb:
- cause to be slowed down or delayed
- act later than planned, scheduled, or required
- stop or halt
- slow the growth or development of
Word Origin
- delay
- delay: [13] English acquired delay from Old French delaier, a compound verb formed from the prefix de- ‘off’ and laier ‘leave’. This verb, which also crops up in English relay, appears to have been a variant of laissier (source of English lease), which came from Latin laxāre ‘slacken, undo’. This in turn was derived from the adjective laxus ‘loose’.=> lax, lease, relay
- delay (v.)
- c. 1300, from Old French delaiier, from de- "away, from" (see de-) + laier "leave, let," probably a variant of Old French laissier, from Latin laxare "slacken, undo" (see lax). Related: Delayed; delaying.
- delay (n.)
- mid-13c., from Old French delaie, from delaiier (see delay (v.)).
Example
- 1. There is a cost to delay and prevarication .
- 2. Delay retirement age is his only choice .
- 3. The delay will bring us great losses .
- 4. In contrast , functional telomeres instead prevent chromosomal damage and delay cellular senescence .
- 5. Can you advise my friend in honolulu of this delay ?