Join free

Delay

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

delay¹

  • /dɪˈleɪ/ UK
  • /dɪˈleɪ/ US
  • /diˈleɪ/ US
  • /dəˈleɪ/ US
  • /dɪˈleɪ/ Canada
  • /dəˈleɪ/ Canada
  • /dəˈlæɪ/ Australia, New Zealand

Rhymes with -eɪ

Where it comes from

From Middle English delaien, borrowed from Anglo-Norman delaier, Old French deslaier, from des- + Old French laier (“to leave”), a conflation of Old Frankish *lattjan ("to delay, hinder"; from Proto-Germanic *latjaną (“to delay, hinder, stall”), from Proto-Indo-European *leh₁d- (“to leave, leave behind”)), and Old Frankish *laibijan ("to leave"; from Proto-Germanic *laibijaną (“to leave, cause to stay”), from Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to remain, continue”)). Doublet of dally.

Akin to Old English latian (“to delay, hesitate”), Old English latu (“a delay, a hindrance”), Old English lǣfan (“to leave”). More at let (to hinder), late, leave.

noun delays

  1. countable, uncountable A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity. the delay before the echo of a sound
  2. countable, uncountable An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay. The 8-bit sound quality of many early delays did indeed leave a lot to be desired (compare this to the 16-bit digital technology of CDs)
  3. countable, uncountable Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
  4. countable, uncountable An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.

Similar: hold-up, deferment, delay, dilation, detain, hinder, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, holdoff, postponement, prorogation

verb delays · delaying · delayed

  1. transitive To put off until a later time; to defer. My lord delayeth his coming.
  2. transitive To retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder. The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.
  3. intransitive To wait, hesitate, tarry. Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!
  4. obsolete, transitive To allay; to temper. The watery showers delay the raging wind.

Similar: forslow, detain, get in the way of, hold up, impede, catch, moderate, quell

delay²

Where it comes from

From Middle English delaien, from Old French delaiier, a variant of delaissier.

verb delays · delaying · delayed

  1. obsolete To dilute, temper.
  2. obsolete To assuage, quench, allay. Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […].

Delay³

proper noun Delays

  1. A surname.

Talk about this word