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Verb: delay  di'ley
  1. Cause to be slowed down or delayed
    "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform";
    - detain, hold up
     
  2. Act later than planned, scheduled, or required
    "Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered"
     
  3. Stop or halt
    - stay, detain
     
  4. Slow the growth or development of
    "The brain damage will delay the child's language development";
    - check, retard
Noun: delay  di'ley
  1. Time during which some action is awaited
    "instant replay caused too long a delay";
    - hold, time lag, postponement, wait
     
  2. The act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time
    - holdup

Derived forms: delays, delaying, delayed

See also: keep

Type of: alter, break, change, decelerate, hold back, hold off, inactivity, intermission, interruption, modify, pause, retard, slow, slow down, slow up, suspension, wait

Encyclopedia: Delay