Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: delaier, from laier 'to leave'

delay

2 verb
     
delay2 S3
1 [intransitive and transitive] to wait until a later time to do something:
Don't delay - send off for the information now.
He delayed his decision on whether to call an election.
delay something until something
The opening of this section of the road is delayed until September.
delay something for something
Our meeting was delayed for ten minutes.
delay doing something
Big companies often delay paying their bills.
2 [transitive] to make someone or something late
seriously/badly/slightly etc delayed
The flight was badly delayed because of fog.
—delayed adjective
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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