wait
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /weɪt/
ipa: /weɪt/
ipa: [weɪ̯ʔt]
note: Indic
ipa: /wɛjʈ/
note: pane–pain merger
ipa: /weʈ/
rhymes: -eɪt
homophone: weight
Forms: form: waits
form: waiting
form: waited
form: waited
form: no-table-tags
form: glossary
form: wait
form: wait
form: waited
form: wait
form: waitest
form: waited
form: waitedst
form: waits
form: waiteth
form: waited
form: wait
form: waited
form: wait
form: waited
form: wait
form: -
form: waiting
form: waited
form: waight
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.
Senses: examples: text: Wait here until your car arrives.
text: I’m still waiting for you to pay me back the money I lent you..
text: They also serve who only stand and wait.
ref: 1673, John Milton, “[Sonnet] XVI. When I Consider How My Light is Spent.”, in Poems, &c. upon Several Occasions, London: […] Tho[mas] Dring […], →OCLC, page 59:
text: Haste, my dear father; 'tis no time to wait.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or otherwise his man would be there with a message to say that his master would shortly join me if I would kindly wait.
ref: 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 46:
text: The South London tramway replacement will have to wait, possibly five years, because of the slowing down of bus manufacture due to national requirements.
ref: 1948 March and April, “Notes and News: London Transport Plans”, in Railway Magazine, page 132:
glosses: To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
examples: text: She used to wait in this joint.
glosses: To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
examples: text: to wait one’s turn
text: Awed with these words, in camps they still abide, / And wait with longing looks their promised guide.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: The Court had assembled, to wait events, in the huge antechamber known as the Œil de Boeuf.
ref: 1992, Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, Harper Perennial, published 2007, page 30:
glosses: To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)
examples: text: He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all / His warlike troops, to wait the funeral.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Aeneis”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
text: Remorse and heaviness of heart shall wait thee, / And everlasting anguish be thy portion.
ref: 1714, Nicholas Rowe, The Tragedy of Jane Shore:
glosses: To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.
glosses: To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.
examples: text: Montague Thorold, who impatiently watched her wherever she went, came to tell her that his mother waited breakfast for her.
ref: 1791, Charlotte Smith, Celestina, Broadview, published 2004, page 185:
glosses: To defer or postpone (especially a meal).
qualifier: except in phrases
glosses: To watch with malicious intent; to lie in wait
examples: text: 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."
ref: 1957, Dagny Taggart; Francisco d'Anconia, Ayn Rand's, Atlas Shrugged:
text: I will wait / Even if it takes forever / I will wait / Even if it takes a lifetime
ref: 1974, The Bee Gees, Night Fever:
glosses: To remain faithful to one’s partner or betrothed during a prolonged period of absence.
Synonyms: sense: delay until
word: await
word: wait for
sense: delay until some event
word: hold one's breath
sense: serve customers
word: wait on
sense: serve customers
word: wait upon
sense: serve customers
word: serve
sense: attend with ceremony or respect
word: bestand
word: serve
word: tend
sense: attend as a consequence
word: attend
sense: attend as a consequence
word: escort
sense: attend as a consequence
word: go with
sense: defer or postpone
word: defer
word: postpone
word: abide
word: back that train up
word: bide
word: bide one's time
word: expect
word: hang on
word: hold on
word: hold one's horses
word: hold one's water
word: hold out
word: mark time
word: stand by
word: stay
word: twiddle one's thumbs
word: wait
Hyponyms: word: cool one's heels
word: kick one's heels
Derived terms: sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: accident waiting to happen
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: all things come to those who wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: can't wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: can wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: disaster waiting to happen
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: good things come to those who wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: hurry up and wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: just you wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: lady in waiting
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: lady-in-waiting
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: self-waiting table
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: sit-and-wait predator
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: time and tide wait for no man
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait-a-bit
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait-a-minute
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait and see
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait-and-see
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait around
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait-a-while
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiter
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for Godot
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for it
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for the ball to drop
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for the cat to jump
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait for the other shoe to drop
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting list
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting maid
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting move
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting room
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting staff
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waiting to happen
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait in the wings
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait-list
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait on
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait one's turn
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait on someone hand and foot
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait on tables
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait out
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waitperson
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waitress
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: waitron
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait staff
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait state
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait tables
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait till the clouds roll by
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait up
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: wait upon hand and foot
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: watch and wait
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: watchful waiting
sense: Terms derived from wait (verb)
word: what are you waiting for
Related terms: word: wait for
word: deferment
word: procrastinate