Refine this word faster
Wait
Definitions
- 1 Tells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment, often to allow clarification. informal
"- And so I went upstairs— - Wait. Your house has two floors?"
- 1 A surname.
- 1 A delay.
"I had a very long wait at the airport security check."
- 2 the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something) wordnet
- 3 An ambush.
"They lay in wait for the patrol."
- 4 time during which some action is awaited wordnet
- 5 Ellipsis of wait state. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 One who watches; a watchman. obsolete
- 7 Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians. UK, in-plural, obsolete
"[…]as he returned home to his owne house, the waits should sound the hautboies all the way"
- 8 Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen. UK, in-plural
"Hark! are the waits abroad?"
- 1 To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness. intransitive
"Wait here until your car arrives."
- 2 look forward to the probable occurrence of wordnet
- 3 To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment. US, intransitive, stative
"She used to wait in this joint."
- 4 serve as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant wordnet
- 5 To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.) archaic, transitive
"to wait one’s turn"
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 stay in one place and anticipate or expect something wordnet
- 7 To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect. obsolete, transitive
"He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all / His warlike troops, to wait the funeral."
- 8 wait before acting wordnet
- 9 To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany. obsolete
- 10 To defer or postpone (especially a meal). colloquial, obsolete
"Montague Thorold, who impatiently watched her wherever she went, came to tell her that his mother waited breakfast for her."
- 11 To watch with malicious intent; to lie in wait obsolete
- 12 To remain faithful to one’s partner or betrothed during a prolonged period of absence. intransitive
"She did not question him. Before leaving, she asked only, "When will I see you again?" He answered, "I don't know. Don't wait for me, Dagny. Next time we meet, you will not want to see me.""
Etymology
From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch. In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.
From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch. In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.
From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”). Cognate with Old High German wahtēn (“to watch, guard”), German Low German wachten (“to wait”), Dutch wachten (“to wait, expect”), French guetter (“to watch out for”), Saterland Frisian wachtje (“to wait”), West Frisian wachtsje (“to wait”), North Frisian wachtjen (“to stand, stay put”). More at watch. In some senses, merged or influenced by Middle English waiten, weiten (“to do good to, lie in wait for, to contrive good or harm on, catch, snare”), from Old Norse veita (“to give help to, assist, grant, cause to happen”), from Proto-Germanic *waitijaną (“to show, guide, advise, direct”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see, know”). Largely overtook native Middle English biden, from Old English bīdan, source of bide.
English surname, variant of Waite.
See also for "wait"
Next best steps
Mini challenge
Unscramble this word: wait