5 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Defer \De*fer"\, v. i.
To yield deference to the wishes of another; to submit to the
opinion of another, or to authority; -- with to.
The house, deferring to legal right, acquiesced.
--Bancroft.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Defer \De*fer"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Deferred}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Deferring}.] [OE. differren, F. diff['e]rer, fr. L. differre
to delay, bear different ways; dis- + ferre to bear. See
{Bear} to support, and cf. {Differ}, {Defer} to offer.]
To put off; to postpone to a future time; to delay the
execution of; to delay; to withhold.
Defer the spoil of the city until night. --Shak.
God . . . will not long defer To vindicate the glory of
his name. --Milton.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Defer \De*fer"\, v. i.
To put off; to delay to act; to wait.
Pius was able to defer and temporize at leisure. --J.
A. Symonds.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Defer \De*fer"\, v. t. [F. d['e]f['e]rer to pay deference, to
yield, to bring before a judge, fr. L. deferre to bring down;
de- + ferre to bear. See {Bear} to support, and cf. {Defer}
to delay, {Delate}.]
1. To render or offer. [Obs.]
Worship deferred to the Virgin. --Brevint.
2. To lay before; to submit in a respectful manner; to refer;
-- with to.
Hereupon the commissioners . . . deferred the matter
to the Earl of Northumberland. --Bacon.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
defer
v 1: hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam" [syn: {postpone},
{prorogue}, {hold over}, {put over}, {table}, {shelve},
{set back}, {remit}, {put off}]
2: submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; "The
government bowed to the military pressure" [syn: {submit},
{bow}, {accede}, {give in}]
[also: {deferring}, {deferred}]