Wordwyrt

defer

/dɪˈfɜː/dih-FUR
/dɪˈfɝ/dih-FUR

Meaningpostpone

Common meaning: put off until later

Journey through time

  1. Old Frenchdifferer‘postpone’source
  2. Middle Englishmeaning shiftspostpone → delaydifferren‘delay’source
  3. Englishmeaning shiftsdelay → put off until laterdefer‘put off until later’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Old French differer ‘postpone’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry DIFFER, p. 166 · dictionary scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app