Idioms for wait
lie in wait,
to wait in ambush: The army lay in wait in the forest.
wait table.
table(def 26).
Origin of wait
1150–1200; (v.) early Middle English
waiten < Anglo-French
waitier; Old French
guaitier < Germanic; cognate with Old High German
wahtēn to watch, derivative of
wahta a watch (see
wake1); (noun) late Middle English < AF derivative of
waitier
SYNONYMS FOR wait
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 for wait
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.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH wait
wait weightWords nearby wait
British Dictionary definitions for lie in wait
wait
/ (weɪt) /
verb
noun
Word Origin for wait
C12: from Old French
waitier; related to Old High German
wahtēn to
wake
1
Idioms and Phrases with lie in wait (1 of 2)
lie in wait
Remain hidden while preparing to attack, as in The opposition was quietly lying in wait for the incumbent to make his first big mistake. This expression originally alluded to physical attacks and is now often used figuratively. [Mid-1400s] Also see lay for.
Idioms and Phrases with lie in wait (2 of 2)
wait