delay

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)A period of time before an event occurs; the act of delaying; procrastination; lingering inactivity.

   “the delay before the echo of a sound”

   “Two twenty minutes' delays.”

   “Without any delay, on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat.”

   “The government ought to be settled without the delay of a day.”

   “In this article I'm thinking about the big delays, over two hours. While rare, they make the news and help to deter people from future rail travel, both travellers and news viewers.”

2. (countable, uncountable)An audio effects unit that introduces a controlled delay.

   “The 8-bit sound quality of many early delays did indeed leave a lot to be desired (compare this to the 16-bit digital technology of CDs)”

3. (countable, uncountable)Synonym of promise (“object representing delayed result”).
4. (countable, uncountable)An amount of time provided on each move before one's clock starts to tick; a less common time control than increment.

verb

1. (transitive)To put off until a later time; to defer.

   “My lord delayeth his coming.”

2. (transitive)To retard; to temporarily stop, detain, or hinder.

   “The mail is delayed by a heavy fall of snow.”

   “Mr. Cooke had had a sloop yacht built at Far Harbor, the completion of which had been delayed, and which was but just delivered. […] The Maria had a cabin, which was finished in hard wood and yellow plush, and accommodations for keeping things cold.”

3. (intransitive)To wait, hesitate, tarry.

   “Don't delay; this special offer ends at midnight!”

   “Don't delay Something tells me I gotta go away”

4. (obsolete, transitive)To allay; to temper.

   “The watery showers delay the raging wind.”

5. (obsolete)To dilute, temper.
6. (obsolete)To assuage, quench, allay.

   “Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd / And quenched quite like a consumed torch […].”

name

1. A surname.