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Webster 1913 Edition
Defer
De-fer′
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Deferred
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Deferring
.] [OE.
differren
, F. différer
, 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. Shakespeare
God . . . will not long
To vindicate the glory of his name.
defer
To vindicate the glory of his name.
Milton.
De-fer′
,Verb.
I.
To put off; to delay to act; to wait.
Pius was able to
defer
and temporize at leisure. J. A. Symonds.
De-fer′
,Verb.
T.
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.
De-fer′
,Verb.
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.
Webster 1828 Edition
Defer
DEFER
,Verb.
T.
1.
To delay; to put off; to postpone to a future time; as, to defer the execution of a design.When thou vowest a vow, defer not to pay it. Eccles. 5.
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. Prov. 13.
2.
To refer; to leave to anothers judgment and determination.[In this sense, refer is now used.]