v. & n.
v. 1 tr. postpone; defer. 2 tr. make late (was delayed at the traffic lights). 3 intr. loiter; be late (don't delay!).
n. 1 the act or an instance of delaying; the process of being delayed. 2 time lost by inaction or the inability to proceed. 3 a hindrance. delayed-action (attrib.) (esp. of a bomb, camera, etc.) operating some time after being primed or set. delay line Electr. a device producing a desired delay in the transmission of a signal. delayer n.
[ ME f. OF delayer (v.), delai (n.), prob. f. des- DIS- + laier leave: see RELAY ]