noun
delay
dih-LAY
noun
1
A period of waiting before something happens; a hold-up.
"There was a two-hour delay at the airport because of fog."
"The delay in the project meant the launch had to be pushed back."
verb
1
To put something off until later, or to make it happen later than planned.
"They delayed the wedding until the following spring."
"Heavy traffic delayed our arrival by nearly an hour."
How to Use Delay
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishPutting something off, or the wait that happens before something occurs.
Common pairings
a slight delay
delay a decision
without delay
cause a delay
Word Forms
delayed past tense, delayed past tense, delays plural, Delays plural, delays singular, delays singular
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There was a two-hour _____ at the airport because of fog.
Etymology
From Old French delaier, ultimately tied to Old Frankish roots meaning "to hinder" — a distant cousin of the word "dally."