Reverse Dictionary: DELAY

ADJECTIVES
► ALL BEHIND LIKE BARNEY’S BULL late, delayed → 1940 Aust. & NZ sl.
► COMPERENDINOUS postponed, prolonged, deferred, delayed → 1730 obs.
► CUNCTATIOUS prone to delay; addicted to delaying → 1865
► CUNCTATIVE cautiously slow, tardy, dilatory, prone to or causing delay → 1617
► CUNCTATORY disposed to delay or linger; procrastinating → 1824
► DELAYOUS given to delay; dilatory; procrastinating → 1469 obs.
► FABIAN delaying, dilatory → 1777 US
► LAGGED delayed, tardy → 1602 obs.
► LATE ON THE TIDE delayed, belated → 1916 Amer. dial.
► OFF-PUTTING evasive, calculated to delay, playing for time, trifling → 1880 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► REMORAL given to delay, dilatory → a1625 obs.
► TAIGLESOME time-consuming, retarding, delaying → 1825 Sc.
► TAIGLIN delaying, hampering → 1793 Sc.
► TARDATIVE tending to slacken speed, retarding, delaying → 1665-6 obs.

ADVERBS
► AFRIST on trust or in a state of delay → 1898 Sc. (Bk.)
► IN A TWITCH in a moment; very quickly, without delay → 1726 obs.

NOUNS
► ABODE the act of waiting; delay → a1250 obs.
► BARRACE a hindrance, obstruction, delay → 1480 obs.
► BEED delay → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BIDE delay, stay → a1000
► BLIN delay, hindrance → 1911 Sc. (Bk.)
► BOGGLING delaying, unnecessarily hesitating → 1815 Amer. dial.
► CLUTCH a delay while recovering from a shock → 1970 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► CRASTINATION a deferring or delaying; delay; procrastination → 1727 obs.
► CUNCTATION a delaying; delay, tardy action → 1585
► DALLY a delay → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► DEBAID delay → 1375 Sc. obs.
► DILATURE delay → 1721 Sc. obs.
► DINGLE delay → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► DRIFT putting off, delay, procrastination → a1558 Sc. obs.
► DWELL delay, stay, stoppage → a1300 obs.
► DWELLING delaying, delay; tarrying → c1330 obs.
► GOOSE-RUN a delay of any kind → 1996 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► HANDERMENT obstruction, delay, hindrance → 1905 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HANG-UP delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► HICCUP a temporary small problem or delay → 1965 sl., orig. US
► HOLD-OFF delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► HOLD-UP delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► LENT slowness, delay → c1435 obs.
► LETTING delaying, hindering; a hindrance, an obstacle → c1020 arch.
► OFF-PUT a delay; postponement; a pretense for delay, an evasion; a feint → 1730 Sc. & Eng. dial.
► OFF-PUTTING a putting off; delay, procrastination → 1387
► OFFSET a hindrance, delay; a setback, anything that causes delay; an illness; the time wasted by any hindrance → 1865 Sc.
► ONHING patient waiting or expectation; the act of meanly and lazily staying in a place; tedious delay → 1866 Sc.
► PUT-BY a putting something by or setting something aside; a delay, a distraction → 1548 obs.
► PUT-OFF delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► QUARANTINE involuntary delay → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► REMORE hindrance, delay → 1627 obs.
► STALL delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► STAND-OFF delay; postponement → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► SUFFERANCE suspension, delay; respite → 1523 obs.
► TAIGLE a hindrance, delay, or cause of delay → 1880 Sc.
► TAIGLEMENT delay, cause of delay → 1830 Sc.
► TAIGLIN a hindrance, delay, or cause of delay → 1880 Sc.
► TARDANCE delaying, delay → 1595 obs.
► TARDANCY delaying, delay → 1654 obs.
► TARDATION the act of delaying, delay, postponement; slackening of speed, retardation, hindering → 1500-20 obs.
► TARDIDATION the act of delaying, delay, postponement; a hindering, retarding → 1647 obs.
► TARGE tarrying, delay → a1300 obs.
► TARRIAGE tarrying; delay, postponement, procrastination → c1470 obs.
► TARRIANCE the act of tarrying; delay, postponement, procrastination → 1460 arch.
► TARRY the act of tarrying; spending or loss of time; delay, procrastination → c1375 obs.
► TARRYMENT delay, tarrying → 1560 obs.
► TARYAGE tarrying; delay, postponement, procrastination → c1470 obs.

NOUNS – PERSON
► CUNCTATOR a person who acts tardily; a delayer → 1654
► OFF-PUT one who or that which delays, a procrastinator → 1856 Sc.
► TARRIER one who tarries or delays; a lingerer, a procrastinator; one who stays or remains → 1382 arch.

PHRASES
► ALL BEHIND, LIKE a COW’S TAIL applied to one who is extremely late or much delayed → 1970
► LATE ON THE TIDE delayed, belated → 1916 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► LIKE A FAT WOMAN, ALL BEHIND applied to one who is extremely late or much delayed → L19
► LIKE BARNEY’S BULL ► LIKE BARNEY’S BULL, ALL BEHIND applied to one who is extremely late or much delayed → L19

VERBS
► ADRILL to delay, to postpone, to put off something → 1350 obs.
► BACKEN to put, keep, or throw back; to delay, to retard in progress → 1649
► BACKWARD to put or keep back; to delay, to retard → 1594 obs.
► BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH to avoid coming to the point; to delay talking about something difficult or unpleasant → 1520
► BELATE to make late, to detain beyond the usual time, to delay; to hinder → 1642
► BOG to delay; to stall the teacher → 1970 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► CRASTINATE to delay from day to day, to prolong, to procrastinate → 1656 obs.
► DILLDALLY to delay, to loiter, to hesitate → 1908 Amer. dial.
► DOUBT to hesitate, to scruple, to delay → 1483 obs.
► DRIFT to put off, to delay, to defer, to procrastinate → 1584 Sc. obs.
► DWELL to hinder, to delay → a1175 obs.
► ELD to put off to a later time, to defer, to delay → c897 obs.
► FORBEAR to delay → 1648 US
► GELE to delay, to retard; to tarry, to linger → a900 obs.
► GIVE SOMEONE THE RUN ► GIVE SOMEONE THE RUNAROUND to deceive; to delay; to put off; to avoid; usually in order to give oneself some form of advantage, breathing space, etc→ .1910s orig. US
► GO ROUND THE BUSH to avoid coming to the point; to delay talking about something difficult or unpleasant → 1705
► HANG IN THE WIND to put off, to delay, to postpone → 1814 Sc.
► HOLD THE PHONE to wait a minute; to delay → 1930 US sl.
► JAKE ► JAUK to trifle, to delay, to dawdle → 1568 Sc.
► KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD to delay dealing with a difficult situation → 1983 US colloq.
► LANT to delay; to keep waiting; to disappoint → 1882 Eng. dial.
► LAY OFF to procrastinate, to delay, to put off → 1975 Amer. dial.
► LENG to lengthen, to prolong; to delay → a1000 obs.
► LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER ONE’S FEET to delay in acting or in seizing an opportunity; mainly used in negative contexts → 1607
► LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER ONE’S HEELS to delay in acting or in seizing an opportunity; mainly used in negative contexts → a1556
► LET to delay, to tarry, to wait → c1385 obs.
► MAFFLE to delay, to waste time → 1781 obs. exc. Eng. dial.
► ONFREST to delay, to put off → c1300 obs.
► PARRY to trifle, to waste time, to dawdle or delay in order to avoid action, to equivocate → 1883 Sc.
► POLLY-FOX to delay and discuss → 1916 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► PROROGUE to delay; to procrastinate → 1593 obs.
► REMORATE to detain, delay, hinder, obstruct → 1638 obs.
► REMORE to hinder, to delay → 1641 obs.
► STONEWALL to delay and obstruct, esp. by stubbornly keeping silent → 1914 US sl.
► STUDEGIE to come to a standstill, to stop; to hesitate, to delay → 1000 obs.
► TAIGLE ► TEAGLE to entangle, to impede, or to hinder in course or action; to keep back, to retard, to detain, to delay → 1635 Sc.
► TAIVER to wander; to delay → 1876 Sc.
► TAKE DAY to put off to another day; to delay → a1400 obs.
► TAMTARRIE to cause delay by frivolous pretenses → 1914 Sc.
► TARDE to retard, to delay → 1524 obs.
► TARDY to make tardy; to delay, to retard, to keep back → 1611 obs.
► TARGE to delay; to tarry → c1250 obs.
► TARROW to tarry, to delay, to linger, to hesitate, to show reluctance → c1375 Sc.
► TARRY to delay, to retard, to defer, to put off a thing or action; to protract, to prolong → c1320 obs.
► TENT to stop, to stay, to delay → 1884 Eng. dial.
► TETTER to hinder, to delay → 1905 Sc. (Bk.)
► TIME IT OUT to procrastinate, to delay, to spin out the time → 1613 obs.