tarry

See also: Tarry

English

Alternative forms

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 *deregʰ- (“to pull, tug, irritate”). Cognate with Walloon tårdjî (“to be late, to be slow, to wait”), Dutch tergen (“to provoke”), German zergen (“to vex, irritate, provoke”), Norwegian Bokmål terge (“to irritate, provoke”), Russian дергать (dergatʹ, “to pull, yank, jerk, pluck up”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: tăr'ē, IPA(key): /ˈtæ.ɹi/
  • Rhymes: -æri

Verb

tarry (third-person singular simple present tarries, present participle tarrying, simple past and past participle tarried)

  1. (intransitive, dated) To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
    It is true that the Messiah will come, though he may tarry. (Hitchens quoting translated Maimonides)
  2. (intransitive, dated) To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
  3. (intransitive, dated) To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
  4. (intransitive, dated) To stay somewhere temporarily; to sojourn.
  5. (transitive, dated) To wait for; to stay or stop for; to allow to linger.
    • Shakespeare
      He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding.
    • Sir Walter Scott
      He plodded on, […] tarrying no further question.
Synonyms
Translations

Noun

tarry (plural tarries)

  1. A sojourn.
Synonyms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English terrie, equivalent to tar +‎ -y.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: tär'ē, IPA(key): /ˈtɑːɹi/
  • Rhymes: -ɑːri

Adjective

tarry (comparative tarrier, superlative tarriest)

  1. Resembling tar.
  2. Covered with tar.
Synonyms

References

  • “tarry” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary, 2001–2018.
  • Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967
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