Definition of 'wait'
Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present
tense waits
, present participle waiting
, past tense, past participle waited
1. verb [no passive]
When you wait for something or someone, you spend some time doing very little, because you cannot act until that thing happens or that person arrives.
He told waiting journalists that he did not expect a referendum to be held for several
months. [VERB-ing]
[Also VERB noun + for] 2. countable noun [usually singular]
4. verb [no cont]
5. verb
6. verb
7. verb
If an employee waits on you, for example in a restaurant or hotel, they take orders from you and bring you what you want.
8.
9.
See wait for it
10.
See wait for it
11.
See wait and see
12.
Phrasal verbs:
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of
wait
wait in British English
verb
1. (when intr, often foll by for, until, or to)
to stay in one place or remain inactive in expectation (of something); hold oneself in readiness (for something)
3. (when intr, usually foll by for)
(of things) to be in store (for a person)
success waits for you in your new job
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C12: from Old French waitier; related to Old High German wahtēn to wake1wait in American English
verb intransitive
1.
to stay in a place or remain in readiness or in anticipation (until something expected happens or for someone to arrive or catch up)
verb transitive
5.
to be, remain, or delay in expectation or anticipation of; await
to wait orders, to wait one's turn
noun
10.
a period of waiting
a four-hour wait
11.
in England,
a.
any of a group of singers and musicians who go through the streets at Christmastime performing songs and carols for small gifts of money
b.
any tune so performed
12. Obsolete
a member of a band of musicians formerly employed by a city or town in England to play at entertainments
SIMILAR WORDS: stay
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin
ME waiten < NormFr waitier < Frank *wahten, to guard, akin to OHG wahta, a guard, watch: for IE base see wake1Examples of 'wait' in a sentence
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In other languages
wait
British English: wait
/weɪt/ VERB
for someone or something When you wait for something or someone, you spend some time doing very little, before something happens.
I walked to the street corner and waited for the school bus.
- American English: wait /ˈweɪt/
- Arabic: يَنْتَظِرُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: esperar
- Chinese: 等待
- Croatian: čekati
- Czech: čekat
- Danish: vente
- Dutch: wachten
- European Spanish: esperar espera
- Finnish: odottaa
- French: attendre
- German: warten
- Greek: περιμένω
- Italian: aspettare
- Japanese: 待つ
- Korean: 기다리다
- Norwegian: vente
- Polish: poczekać
- European Portuguese: esperar
- Romanian: a aștepta
- Russian: ждать
- Latin American Spanish: esperar
- Swedish: vänta
- Thai: รอ
- Turkish: beklemek
- Ukrainian: чекати
- Vietnamese: chờ đợi
British English: wait
/ˈweɪt/ VERB
be delayed If you say that something can wait, you mean that it is not important, so you will do it later.
I want to talk to you, but it can wait.
- American English: wait for /ˈweɪt fɔr/
- Arabic: يَنْتَظِرُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: aguardar
- Chinese: 等待
- Croatian: pričekati
- Czech: počkat
- Danish: vente på
- Dutch: wachten op
- European Spanish: esperar alguien
- Finnish: odottaa jotakin
- French: attendre
- German: warten auf
- Greek: περιμένω για
- Italian: aspettare
- Japanese: 待つ
- Korean: ...을 기다리다
- Norwegian: vente på
- Polish: poczekać na
- European Portuguese: aguardar
- Romanian: a amâna
- Russian: ожидать
- Latin American Spanish: esperar
- Swedish: vänta på
- Thai: รอได้
- Turkish: beklemek
- Ukrainian: зачекати
- Vietnamese: chờ đợi
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wait
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Definition of wait from the Collins English Dictionary
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