Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Demur
De-mur′
(dē̍-mûr′)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Demurred
(dē̍-mûrd′)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Demurring
.] [OF.
demurer
, demorer
, demourer
, to linger, stay, F. demeurer
, fr. L. demorari
; de-
+ morari
to delay, tarry, stay, mora
delay; prob. originally, time for thinking, reflection, and akin to memor
mindful. See Memory
.] 1.
To linger; to stay; to tarry.
[Obs.]
Yet durst not
demur
nor abide upon the camp. Nicols.
2.
To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair.
Upon this rub, the English embassadors thought fit to
demur
. Hayward.
3.
To scruple or object; to take exception, especially on the basis of scruple or modesty;
as, I
. demur
to that statement; they wanted to make him president, but he demurred
De-mur′
,Verb.
T.
1.
To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of or hesitate about.
[Obs.]
The latter I
Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears.
demur
, for in their looksMuch reason, and in their actions, oft appears.
Milton.
2.
To cause delay to; to put off.
[Obs.]
He demands a fee,
And then
And then
demurs
me with a vain delay. Quarles.
De-mur′
,Noun.
Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple.
All my
At last he whispers, “Do; and we go snacks.”
demurs
but double his attacks;At last he whispers, “Do; and we go snacks.”
Pope.
Webster 1828 Edition
Demur
DEMUR
,Verb.
I.
1.
To stop; to pause; to hesitate; to suspend proceeding; to delay determination or conclusion.On receiving this information, the minister demurred, till he could obtain further instructions.
2.
In law, to stop at any point in the pleadings, and rest or abide on that point in law for a decision of the cause. Thus, the defendant may demur to the plaintiffs declaration, alledging it to be insufficient in law; the plaintiff may demur to the defendants plea, for a like reason.DEMUR
,Verb.
T.
DEMUR
,Noun.
All my demurs but double his attacks.
Definition 2024
demur
demur
English
Verb
demur (third-person singular simple present demurs, present participle demurring, simple past and past participle demurred)
- (intransitive, obsolete) To linger; to stay; to tarry
- Nicols
- Yet durst not demur nor abide upon the camp.
- Nicols
- (intransitive) To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings or judgment in view of a doubt or difficulty; to hesitate; to put off the determination or conclusion of an affair.
- Hayward
- Upon this rub, the English embassadors thought fit to demur.
- Hayward
- (intransitive) To scruple or object; to take exception; to oppose; to balk
- I demur to that statement.
- The personnel demurred at the management's new scheme.
- (intransitive, law) To interpose a demurrer.
- (transitive, obsolete) To suspend judgment concerning; to doubt of or hesitate about
- The latter I demur, for in their looks / Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears. - John Milton
- (transitive, obsolete) To cause delay to; to put off
- Quarles
- He demands a fee, / And then demurs me with a vain delay.
- Quarles
Related terms
Translations
intransitive: To delay; to pause; to suspend proceedings
intransitive: To balk; to oppose.
transitive, obsolete: To cause delay to; to put off
Noun
demur (plural demurs)
- Stop; pause; hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple.
- All my demurs but double his attacks; At last he whispers, ``Do; and we go snacks. - Alexander Pope
- 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society 2011, p. 132:
- Most geologists today would accept such evidence without demur, but it was still ‘fringe’ science when du Toit was publishing.
Translations
hesitation as to proceeding; suspense of decision or action; scruple