Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Origin: leng 'to lengthen, delay' (11-16 centuries), from Old English lengan

linger

 verb
     
lin‧ger [intransitive]
1 also linger on to continue to exist, be noticeable etc for longer than is usual or desirable:
a taste that lingers in your mouth
Unfortunately the tax will linger on until April.
2 also linger on to stay somewhere a little longer, especially because you do not want to leave
linger over
They lingered over coffee and missed the last bus.
I spent a week at Kandersteg and could happily have lingered on.
3 [always + adverb/preposition] to continue looking at or dealing with something for longer than is usual or desirable
linger on/over
Mike let his eyes linger on her face.
There's no need to linger over this stage of the interview.
4 also linger on to continue to live although you are slowly dying:
He surprised all the doctors by lingering on for several weeks.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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