tarry

English

Alternative forms

• tarrow (Scotland)

Pronunciation

• (verb, noun) enPR: tăr'ē, IPA: /ˈtæ.ɹi/, X-SAMPA: /"t{ri/
• (adjective) enPR: tär'ē, IPA: /ˈtɑːri/, X-SAMPA: /"tA:ri/

  Rhymes: -æri, -ɑːri

Etymology 1

From Middle English tarien, terien (“to vex, harass, cause to hesitate, delay”), from Old English tirian, tirgan, tergan (“to worry, exasperate, pain, provoke, excite”), from Proto-Germanic *terganan (“to drag”), from Proto-Indo-European *deregʰ- (“to pull, tug, irritate”). Cognate with Dutch tergen (“to provoke”), German zergen (“to vex, irritate, provoke”), Russian дергать (dergat', “to pull, yank, jerk, pluck up”).

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) 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) To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
3. (intransitive) To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
4. (intransitive) To stay somewhere temporarily; to sojourn.
5. (transitive) To wait for; to stay or stop for.
   • 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

• (stay or wait, especially longer than planned): hang about, hang around, linger, loiter
• (stay somewhere temporarily): sojourn, stay, stay over, stop, stop over

Translations

delay or be tardy

• Dutch: talmen (nl), treuzelen (nl)
• Estonian: viivitama (et)
• German: zaudern (de), zögern (de)

• Russian: мешкать (ru) (meškatʹ)
• Spanish: demorar (es)

linger in expectation of

• Dutch: afwachten (nl),
• Estonian: viivitama (et)

• German: abwarten (de)

stay or wait somewhere

• Dutch: blijven (nl), wachten (nl)
• Estonian: peatuma (et), ootama (et)
• German: verweilen (de), weilen (de)

• Latin: sedeo (la)

stay somewhere temporarily

• Dutch: verblijven (nl)
• Estonian: viibima (et)
• German: verweilen, weilen

• Latin: sedeo (la)
• Russian: останавливаться (ru) (ostanavlivatʹsja)

Noun

tarry (plural tarries)

1. A sojourn.

Synonyms

• (sojourn): stay, stop, stop-over

Translations

sojourn

• German: Verzögerung (de) f

Etymology 2

tar +‎ -y

Adjective

tarry (comparative tarrier, superlative tarriest)

1. Resembling tar.
2. Covered with tar.

Synonyms

• (resembling tar): pitchy
• (covered with tar): bituminized (treated with tar), pitchy

References

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