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time delay


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Also see: time

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•lay /dɪˈleɪ/USA pronunciation   v. 
  1. to put off to a later time;
    postpone: [ ~ + verb-ing]:The principal delayed opening the school.[ ~ + obj]:The committee delayed action on the matter.
  2. [ ~ + obj] to interfere with the progress of;
    slow down;
    hold back:The fog delayed the plane's landing.
  3. [no obj] to put off action;
    linger;
    loiter:If you delay now, you'll just have to do more later.

n. 
  1. the act of delaying;
    procrastination;
    loitering:[uncountable]Please finish your work without delay.
  2. a postponement:[countable]a delay of forty-eight hours.
  3. an act or instance of being delayed;
    stoppage:[countable]The delay was caused by a three-car accident.
de•lay•er, n. [countable]
de•lay•ing, adj. [before a noun]:delaying tactics designed to wear us out.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
de•lay  (di lā′),USA pronunciation v.t. 
  1. to put off to a later time;
    defer;
    postpone:The pilot delayed the flight until the weather cleared.
  2. to impede the process or progress of;
    retard;
    hinder:The dense fog delayed the plane's landing.

v.i. 
  1. to put off action;
    linger;
    loiter:He delayed until it was too late.

n. 
  1. the act of delaying;
    procrastination;
    loitering.
  2. an instance of being delayed:There were many delays during the train trip.
  3. the period or amount of time during which something is delayed:The ballet performance began after a half-hour delay.
  • Old French delaier (verb, verbal), delai (noun, nominal)
  • Middle English delaien (verb, verbal), delai(e) (noun, nominal) 1225–75
de•lay′a•ble, adj. 
de•lay′er, n. 
de•lay′ing•ly, adv. 
    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged See defer1. 
    • 2.See corresponding entry in Unabridged slow, detain.
    • 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged procrastinate, tarry.
    • 4.See corresponding entry in Unabridged tarrying, dawdling.
    • 5.See corresponding entry in Unabridged deferment, postponement, respite.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
delay / dɪˈleɪ/
  1. (transitive) to put off to a later time; defer
  2. (transitive) to slow up, hinder, or cause to be late; detain
  3. (intransitive) to be irresolute or put off doing something; procrastinate
  4. (intransitive) to linger; dawdle
  1. the act or an instance of delaying or being delayed
  2. the interval between one event and another; lull; interlude
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French delaier, from des- off + laier, variant of laissier to leave, from Latin laxāre to loosen, from laxus slack, lax1deˈlayer
'time delay' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
procrastinate

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