defer

English

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɝ/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Hyphenation: de‧fer

Etymology 1

Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō.

Verb

defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred)

  1. (transitive) To delay or postpone.
    We're going to defer the decision until we have all the facts.
    1. (especially more common, historically) to postpone induction into military service.
  2. (American football) After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
  3. (intransitive) To delay, to wait.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From late Middle English differren (“to refer for judgement”), from Middle French déférer, from Latin dēferō.

Verb

defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
  2. To render, to offer.
    • 1872, Daniel Brevint, Saul and Samuel at Endor:
      worship deferred to the Virgin
Derived terms
Translations
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Anagrams

Latin

Pronunciation

Verb

dēfer

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of dēferō
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