/ dɪˈfɜː(r); NAmE / verb
( -rr- ) to delay sth until a later time
SYN put off :
[ vn ]
The department deferred the decision for six months.
She had applied for deferred admission to college.
[also v -ing ]
► de·fer·ment , de·fer·ral / dɪˈfɜːrəl; NAmE / noun [ U , C ]
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PHRASAL VERBS
- defer to sb/sth
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WORD ORIGIN
verb late Middle English (also in the sense put on one side ): from Old French differer defer or differ, from Latin differre , from dis- apart + ferre bring, carry. Compare with differ .
pvsym. late Middle English : from Old French deferer , from Latin deferre carry away, refer (a matter), from de- away from + ferre bring, carry.