1.  delay(n = noun.time) hold, postponement, time lag, wait - time during which some action is awaited; "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action"
is a kind of break, intermission, interruption, pause, suspension
has particulars: extension, moratorium, retardation
Derived forms verb delay₄, verb delay₂

2.  delay(n = noun.act) holdup - the act of delaying; inactivity resulting in something being put off until a later time;
is a kind of inactivity
has particulars: break, disruption, gap, interruption, demurrage, forbearance, deferment, deferral, postponement, cunctation, procrastination, shillyshally, lag, retardation, slowdown, dalliance, dawdling, trifling, filibuster, lingering, tarriance
Derived forms verb delay₄, verb delay₁, verb delay₃

1.  delay(v = verb.change) detain, hold up - cause to be slowed down or delayed; "Traffic was delayed by the bad weather"; "she delayed the work that she didn't want to perform"
is one way to decelerate, retard, slow, slow down, slow up
Antonym: rush
Derived form noun delay₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s somebody; Something ----s something

2.  delay(v = verb.stative) - act later than planned, scheduled, or required; "Don't delay your application to graduate school or else it won't be considered"
is one way to hold back, hold off, wait
Derived form noun delay₁
Sample sentences: They delay a long time

3.  delay(v = verb.change) detain, stay - stop or halt; "Please stay the bloodshed!"
is one way to check, delay, retard
Derived form noun delay₂
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something

4.  delay(v = verb.change) check, retard - slow the growth or development of; "The brain damage will retard the child's language development"
is one way to alter, change, modify
Derived forms noun delay₂, noun delay₁
Sample sentences: Somebody ----s something; Something ----s something

delay, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. postpone; defer.
2 tr. make late (was delayed at the traffic lights).
3 intr. loiter; be late (don't delay!).
--n.
1 the act or an instance of delaying; the process of being delayed.
2 time lost by inaction or the inability to proceed.
3 a hindrance.

Idiom:
delayed-action (attrib.) (esp. of a bomb, camera, etc.) operating some time after being primed or set. delay line Electr. a device producing a desired delay in the transmission of a signal.

Derivative:
delayer n.

Etymology:
ME f. OF delayer (v.), delai (n.), prob. f. des- DIS- + laier leave: see RELAY

N  diuturnity, a long time, a length of time, an age, a century, an eternity, slowness, perpetuity, blue moon, coon's age, dog's age, durableness, durability, persistence, endlessness, lastingness, continuance, standing, permanence, survival, survivance, longevity, distance of time, protraction of time, prolongation of time, extension of time, delay, durable, lasting, of long duration, of long-standing, permanent, endless, chronic, long-standing, intransient, intransitive, intransmutable, persistent, lifelong, livelong, longeval, long-lived, macrobiotic, diuturnal, evergreen, perennial, sempervirent, sempervirid, unrelenting, unintermitting, unremitting, perpetual, lingering, protracted, prolonged, spun out, long-pending, long-winded, slow, long, for a long time, for an age, for ages, for ever so long, for many a long day, long ago, longo intervallo, all the day long, all the year round, the livelong day, as the day is long, morning noon and night, hour after hour, day after day, for good, permanently.

N  lateness, tardiness, delay, delation, cunctation, procrastination, deferring, deferral, postponement, adjournment, prorogation, retardation, respite, pause, reprieve, stay of execution, protraction, prolongation, Fabian policy, medecine expectante, chancery suit, federal case, leeway, high time, moratorium, holdover, late, tardy, slow, behindhand, serotine, belated, postliminious, posthumous, backward, unpunctual, untimely, delayed, postponed, dilatory, delayed, in abeyance, late, lateward, backward, late in the day, at sunset, at the eleventh hour, at length, at last, ultimately, after time, behind time, after the deadline, too late, too late for, slowly, leisurely, deliberately, at one's leisure, ex post facto, sine die, nonum prematur in annum, against the sunbeams serotine and lucent, ie meglio tardi che mai, deliberando saepe perit occasio.

VB  be late, tarry, wait, stay, bide, take time, dawdle, linger, loiter, bide one's time, take one's time, gain time, hang fire, stand over, lie over, put off, defer, delay, lay over, suspend, table, shift off, stave off, waive, retard, remand, postpone, adjourn, procrastinate, dally, prolong, protract, spin out, draw out, lengthen out, stretch out, prorogue, keep back, tide over, push to the last, drive to the last, let the matter stand over, reserve, temporize, consult one's pillow, sleep on it, lose an opportunity, be kept waiting, dance attendance, kick one's heels, cool one's heels, faire antichambre, wait impatiently, await, sit up, sit up at night.

N  slowness, languor, drawl, creeping, lentor, retardation, slackening, delay, claudication, jog trot, dog trot, mincing steps, slow march, slow time, slow goer, slow coach, slow back, lingerer, loiterer, sluggard, tortoise, snail, poke, dawdle, slow, slack, tardy, dilatory, gentle, easy, leisurely, deliberate, gradual, insensible, imperceptible, glacial, languid, sluggish, slow paced, tardigrade, snail-like, creeping, reptatorial, slowly, leisurely, piano, adagio, largo, larghetto, at half speed, under easy sail, at a foots pace, at a snail's pace, at a funeral pace, in slow time, with mincing steps, with clipped wings, haud passibus aequis, gradually, gradatim, by degrees, by slow degrees, by inches, by little and little, step by step, one step at a time, inch by inch, bit by bit, little by little, seriatim, consecutively, dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit, at a glacial pace.

acoustic delay line, delay line, electromagnetic delay line, sonic delay line, without delay