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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
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.
[F.
déférer
to pay deference, to yield, to bring before a judge, fr. L.
deferre
to bring down;
de-
+
ferre
to bear. See
Bear
to support, and cf.
Defer
to delay,
Delate
.]
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.
[L. To bear.]
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.]