I. də̇ˈlā, dēˈ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English delaye, from Old French delaie, from delaier
1. : the act or practice of delaying : procrastination , lingering
delay in aircraft production
delay and uncertainty could cripple our industries
2.
a. : the state or an instance of being delayed
the delays incident to diplomacy
b. : the time during which something is delayed
a delay of 30 minutes
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English delayen, from Old French delaier, from de- + laier to leave, alteration of laissier, from Latin laxare to slacken, loosen, untie, from laxus slack, loose — more at slack
transitive verb
1. : to put off : prolong the time of or before : postpone , defer
we decided to delay our departure until the weather improved
2.
a. : to stop, detain, or hinder for a time : check the motion of, lessen the progress of, or slow the time of arrival of
the mails were delayed by heavy snows
the upper house is delaying the passage of important bills
b. : to cause to be slower or to occur more slowly than normal : retard — usually used as a past participle
delayed resolution in pneumonia
a heavy child, delayed in walking
3. archaic : to put (a person) off : make (a person) wait (as for a payment due)
intransitive verb
: to move or act slowly, intermittently, or inconclusively
Synonyms:
delay , retard , slow , slacken , and detain agree in meaning to make someone or something behind in schedule or usual rate of movement or progress. delay implies a holding back, as by interference, especially from completion or arrival
a storm delayed the ship for an hour
the opening of the school year had been delayed by an epidemic — American Guide Series: Minnesota
the symptoms of poisoning may be delayed for several days — H.G.Armstrong
a criminal court jury on which I served delayed a verdict all afternoon — C.G.Jameson
retard implies a reduction of speed or rate of motion often by interference
snow retarded the car considerably
shortages of labor continue to retard production — Americana Annual
other factors retarded progress toward a stable economy — Collier's Year Book
secrecy in research is bound to retard the growth of science as a whole — Hartley Shawcross
slow , often with down or up, and slacken also imply a reduction in speed or rate, slow often implying intention, slacken stressing an easing up, letting up, or relaxation of effort
as we turned into Compton Street together he slowed his step — G.W.Brace
lack of coordination in the past has slowed extensive conservation of water resources — American Guide Series: Texas
perhaps existence was slowing down a trifle — Sylvia Berkman
a bounty of $150 on every live Indian brought in somewhat slowed up the general shooting — Marjory S. Douglas
their rate of growth slackens as they age — L.P.Schultz
the river broadens, slackening its pace as it spreads out and turns — Ted Sumner
economic expansion had slackened — Oscar Handlin
detain implies a holding back or being held back beyond an appointed or reasonable time, whether deliberate or not
I slipped my arm around her slender body to detain her — W.H.Hudson †1922
on the voyage thither they were detained in Honolulu — R.S.Kuykendall
after being detained in England by the war then raging with Spain, White returned to Roanoke Island — American Guide Series: North Carolina
Synonyms:
delay , procrastinate , lag , loiter , dawdle , dally , and dillydally mean, in common, to move or act slowly so that expected progress is not made or prospective work is left undone or unfinished. delay suggests putting off
do not delay in sending for your copies. Fill out the attached form today — Current History
genuine success seemed as usual to delay and postpone itself — Arnold Bennett
to delay foolishly until all opportunity is past
procrastinate suggests blameworthy delay as from laziness, indifference, or habitual inertia
to fumble, to vacillate, to procrastinate and so let war come creeping upon us almost unawares — W.A.White
to procrastinate in letter writing and lose friends
lag implies a failure to maintain a required or desirable speed
for half the race the one who finally won had lagged behind the others, conserving his strength
work on the fort had lagged — American Guide Series: Arkansas
confidence in the administration lagged until enemies of the regime were emboldened recently to attempt a revolution — P.P.Kennedy
loiter implies a delay while in progress, especially walking, often suggesting a lingering about or an aimless sauntering
a child loitering on the way to school
after breakfasting he walked down the hill and loitered about the little streets — Willa Cather
dawdle implies a slighter delay in progress than loiter but connotes more strongly an aimlessness or a taking of more time than is necessary
I did not hurry the rest of the way home; but neither did I dawdle — V.G.Heiser
the sun dawdles intolerably on the threshold like a tedious guest — Jan Struther
dally and, more strongly, dillydally suggest wasting time in trifling, pottering, or vacillation
while the men dallied, the dogs set off briskly of their own accord — J.T.McNish
they dallied to make mud pies or just to get themselves as muddy as time permitted — English Digest
because the government had dillydallied with new export rules, trading in hides and skins had all but stopped — Time
the protagonist is a maundering fellow who dillydallies too much in getting his murdering done — Margery Bailey
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle French delayer, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin delicare, for Latin deliquare to clarify, strain, decant, from de- + liquare to melt, strain — more at liquate
obsolete : allay: as
a. : mitigate , assuage
b. : weaken , temper , dilute
IV. noun
: a play in football in which a ballcarrier or potential receiver delays momentarily as if to block before receiving a hand-off or running a prescribed pattern