defer

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɜː/ (Liverpool, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /dɪˈfeː/ (Humberside, Teesside, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɛː/ (Lancashire, fair–fur merger) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɛr/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɝ/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /dɪˈfɜː/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /dəˈføː/ Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ) 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. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others. ==== Verb ==== defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred) (transitive) To delay or postpone. (especially more common, historically) to postpone induction into military service. (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). (intransitive) To delay, to wait. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== differ ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From late Middle English differren (“to refer for judgement”), from Middle French déférer, from Latin dēferō. Doublet of delate. See also infer, collate and confer, relate and refer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. ==== Verb ==== defer (third-person singular simple present defers, present participle deferring, simple past and past participle deferred) (ambitransitive) To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority. Synonym: submit To render, to offer. ===== Derived terms ===== deference ===== Translations ===== === Anagrams === freed, refed == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈdeː.fɛr] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈdɛː.fer] === Verb === dēfer second-person singular present active imperative of dēferō