tarry

== English == === Etymology 1 === From Middle English tarien, terien (“to vex, harass, cause to hesitate, delay”), from Old English tirian, tirġan, terġan (“to worry, exasperate, pain, provoke, excite”), from Proto-Germanic *terganą, *targijaną (“to pull, tease, irritate”), from Proto-Indo-European *derHgʰ- (“to pull, tug, irritate”). Cognate with Dutch tergen (“to provoke”), German zergen (“to vex, irritate, provoke”), Norwegian Bokmål terge (“to irritate, provoke”), Russian дёргать (djórgatʹ, “to pull, yank, jerk, pester”). Compare also Walloon tårdjî (“to be late, to be slow, to wait”). Compare typologically Czech meškat, Russian ме́шкать (méškatʹ) (akin to меша́ть (mešátʹ)), копа́ться (kopátʹsja) (akin to копа́ть (kopátʹ)). ==== Pronunciation ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtæ.ɹi/ (General American) enPR: tăr'ē (without the Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /ˈtæ.ɹi/ (Mary–marry–merry merger) IPA(key): /ˈtɛɹ.i/, /ˈteɹ.i/ Homophones: terry, Terry (both only in accents with the Mary-marry-merry merger) Rhymes: -æɹi ==== Verb ==== tarry (third-person singular simple present tarries, present participle tarrying, simple past and past participle tarried) (dated) (intransitive) To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything. Synonyms: forestall, put off; see also Thesaurus:procrastinate (intransitive) To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens. Synonym: abide (intransitive) To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned. Synonyms: hang about, hang around, linger, loiter; see also Thesaurus:tarry (intransitive) To stay somewhere temporarily. Synonyms: sojourn, stay, stay over, stop, stop over; see also Thesaurus:sojourn (transitive) To wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger. Synonyms: await, wait on; see also Thesaurus:wait for ===== Alternative forms ===== tarrow (Scotland) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== tarry (plural tarries) A sojourn. Synonyms: stay, stop, stop-over ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English terrie, equivalent to tar +‎ -y. ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈtɑː.ɹi/, enPR: tä'rē Rhymes: -ɑːɹi ==== Adjective ==== tarry (comparative tarrier, superlative tarriest) Resembling tar. Synonym: (in consistency) pitchy Covered with tar. Synonyms: bituminized, pitchy === References === Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “tarry”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. “tarry” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary: Based on Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 7th edition, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] & C[harles] Merriam, 1963 (1967 printing), →OCLC.