to remain inactive or in a state of repose, as until something expected happens (often fol. by for, till, or until): to wait for the bus to arrive.
2.
(of things) to be available or in readiness: A letter is waiting for you.
3.
to remain neglected for a time: a matter that can wait.
4.
to postpone or delay something or to be postponed or delayed: We waited a week and then bought the house. Your vacation will have to wait until next month.
5.
to look forward to eagerly: I'm just waiting for the day somebody knocks him down.
–verb (used with object)
6.
to continue as one is in expectation of; await: to wait one's turn at a telephone booth.
7.
to postpone or delay in expectation: Don't wait supper for me.
8.
Archaic. (of things) to be in readiness for; be reserved for; await: Glory waits thee.
9.
Archaic. to attend upon or escort, esp. as a sign of respect.
–noun
10.
an act or instance of waiting or awaiting; delay; halt: a wait at the border.
11.
a period or interval of waiting: There will be a long wait between trains.
[Origin: 1150–1200; (v.) early ME waiten < AF waitier; OF guaitier < Gmc; c. OHG wahtén to watch, deriv. of wahta a watch (see wake1); (n.) late ME < AF deriv. of waitier]
—Synonyms 1. await, linger, abide, delay. Wait,tarry imply pausing to linger and thereby putting off further activity until later. Wait usually implies staying for a limited time and for a definite purpose, that is, for something expected: to wait for a train. Tarry is a somewhat archaic word for wait, but it suggests lingering, perhaps aimlessly delaying, or pausing (briefly) in a journey: to tarry on the way home; to tarry overnight at an inn.
—Usage note 15e, f. Sometimes considered objectionable in standard usage, the idiom wait on meaning “to wait for, to await (a person)” is largely confined to speech or written representations of speech. It is most common in the Midland and Southern United States: Let's not wait on Rachel, she's always late. Wait on or upon (an event) does not have a regional pattern and occurs in a wide variety of contexts: We will wait on (or upon) his answer and make our decision then. The completion of the merger waits upon news of a drop in interest rates.
c.1200, "to watch with hostile intent, lie in wait for," from O.N.Fr. waitier "to watch" (Fr. guetter), from Frank. *wahton (cf. Du. wacht "a watching," O.H.G. wahten, Ger. wachten "to watch, to guard;" O.H.G. wahhon "to watch, be awake," O.E. wacian "to be awake;" see wake (v.)). General sense of "remain in some place" is from 1375; meaning "serve as an attendant at a table" is from 1568. The noun is first attested c.1300. To wait (something) out "endure a period of waiting" is recorded from 1909, originally Amer.Eng., in ref. to baseball batters trying to draw a base on balls. Waiting game is recorded from 1890. Waiting room is attested from 1683. Waiting list is recorded from 1897; the verb wait-list "to put (someone) on a waiting list" is recorded from 1960.
time during which some action is awaited; "instant replay caused too long a delay"; "he ordered a hold in the action" [syn: delay]
2.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something); "the wait was an ordeal for him"
verb
1.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something; "I had to wait on line for an hour to get the tickets"
2.
wait before acting; "the scientists held off announcing their results until they repeated the experiment"
3.
look forward to the probable occurrence of; "We were expecting a visit from our relatives"; "She is looking to a promotion"; "he is waiting to be drafted" [syn: expect]
4.
serve as a waiter or waitress in a restaurant; "I'm waiting on tables at Maxim's"
(withfor) to remain or stay (in the same place or without doing anything) Example: Wait (for) two minutes (here) while I go inside; I'm waiting for John (to arrive).
Arabic:
يَنْتَظِر
Chinese (Simplified):
等候
Chinese (Traditional):
等候
Czech:
počkat, čekat
Danish:
vente
Dutch:
wachten
Estonian:
ootama
Finnish:
odottaa
French:
attendre
German:
warten
Greek:
περιμένω
Hungarian:
vár
Icelandic:
bíða
Indonesian:
menunggu
Italian:
aspettare
Japanese:
待つ
Korean:
기다리다, 대기하다
Latvian:
gaidīt
Lithuanian:
laukti
Norwegian:
vente
Polish:
czekać
Portuguese (Brazil):
esperar
Portuguese (Portugal):
esperar
Romanian:
a aştepta
Russian:
ждать
Slovak:
počkať, čakať
Slovenian:
čakati
Spanish:
esperar, aguardar
Swedish:
vänta
Turkish:
beklemek
wait2[weit]verb
(withfor) to expect Example: I was just waiting for that pile of dishes to fall!
Arabic:
يَتَوَقَّع
Chinese (Simplified):
等候
Chinese (Traditional):
等候
Czech:
čekat
Danish:
vente
Dutch:
verwachten
Estonian:
ootama
Finnish:
odottaa
French:
(s')attendre (à)
German:
darauf warten, daß
Greek:
περιμένω, προσμένω
Hungarian:
vár
Icelandic:
bíða eftir
Indonesian:
menduga
Italian:
aspettarsi
Japanese:
待ち受ける
Korean:
기대하다, 예상하다
Latvian:
gaidīt
Lithuanian:
laukti
Norwegian:
vente på
Polish:
czekać
Portuguese (Brazil):
esperar
Portuguese (Portugal):
esperar
Romanian:
a se aştepta (la)
Russian:
ожидать
Slovak:
čakať
Slovenian:
pričakovati
Spanish:
esperar
Swedish:
vänta
Turkish:
beklemek, sanmak
wait3[weit]verb
(withon) to serve dishes, drinks etc (at table) Example: This servant will wait on your guests; He waits at table.
Arabic:
يَخْدُم الزَّبائِن
Chinese (Simplified):
伺候进餐
Chinese (Traditional):
伺候進餐
Czech:
obsluhovat
Danish:
servere
Dutch:
bedienen
Estonian:
teenindama (söögilauas)
Finnish:
tarjoilla
French:
servir
German:
bedienen
Greek:
σερβίρω, εξυπηρετώ
Hungarian:
felszolgál
Icelandic:
þjóna
Indonesian:
melayani
Italian:
servire
Japanese:
給仕する
Korean:
시중들다, 서비스하다
Latvian:
apkalpot (pie galda)
Lithuanian:
patarnauti
Norwegian:
servere, varte opp
Polish:
obsługiwać
Portuguese (Brazil):
servir
Portuguese (Portugal):
servir
Romanian:
a servi la masă
Russian:
обслуживать
Slovak:
obsluhovať
Slovenian:
streči
Spanish:
servir
Swedish:
passa upp, servera
Turkish:
servis yapmak, hizmet etmek
wait[weit]noun
an act of waiting; a delay Example: There was a long wait before they could get on the train.
A*wait"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Awaited; p. pr. & vb. n. Awaiting.] [OF. awaitier, agaitier; ? (L. ad) + waitier, gaitier to watch, F. guetter. See Wait.]1. To watch for; to look out for. [Obs.] 2. To wait on, serve, or attend. [Obs.] 3. To wait for; to stay for; to expect. See Expect. Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat, Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night. --Milton. 4. To be in store for; to be ready or in waiting for; as, a glorious reward awaits the good. O Eve, some farther change awaits us night. --Milton.
Wait\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Waited; p. pr. & vb. n. Waiting.] [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch, attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahh[=e]n to watch, be awake. [root]134. See Wake, v. i.]1. To watch; to observe; to take notice. [Obs.] "But [unless] ye wait well and be privy, I wot right well, I am but dead," quoth she. --Chaucer. 2. To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary till the arrival of some person or event; to rest in patience; to stay; not to depart. All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. --Job xiv. 14. They also serve who only stand and wait. --Milton. Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait. --Dryden. To wait on or upon. (a) To attend, as a servant; to perform services for; as, to wait on a gentleman; to wait on the table. "Authority and reason on her wait." --Milton. "I must wait on myself, must I?" --Shak. (b) To attend; to go to see; to visit on business or for ceremony. (c) To follow, as a consequence; to await. "That ruin that waits on such a supine temper." --Dr. H. More. (d) To look watchfully at; to follow with the eye; to watch. [R.] "It is a point of cunning to wait upon him with whom you speak with your eye." --Bacon. (e) To attend to; to perform. "Aaron and his sons . . . shall wait on their priest's office." --Num. iii. 10. (f) (Falconry) To fly above its master, waiting till game is sprung; -- said of a hawk. --Encyc. Brit.
Wait\, v. t. 1. To stay for; to rest or remain stationary in expectation of; to await; as, to wait orders. Awed with these words, in camps they still abide, And wait with longing looks their promised guide. --Dryden. 2. To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany; to await. [Obs.] 3. To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect. [Obs.] He chose a thousand horse, the flower of all His warlike troops, to wait the funeral. --Dryden. Remorse and heaviness of heart shall wait thee, And everlasting anguish be thy portion. --Rowe. 4. To cause to wait; to defer; to postpone; -- said of a meal; as, to wait dinner. [Colloq.]
![[P]](http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/premium_mh.gif){kind=small}
Audio Help [weyt] Pronunciation Key 
