delayed-action

American  

[dih-leyd-ak-shuhn] / dɪˈleɪdˈæk ʃən /

Also delay-action

adjective

1. (of an explosive projectile) exploding some time after hitting the target.

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delayed action British  

noun

1. 1. a device for operating a mechanism, such as a camera shutter, a short time after setting

   2. ( as modifier )

      a delayed-action fuse

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Etymology

Origin of delayed-action

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

In a delayed-action scenario, debt in 2050-51 would be 23% of GDP higher than in the early-action scenario, it said.

From Reuters • Jul. 6, 2021

One person close to the family described her influence as a delayed-action fuse: at times the president will mention a point Ms. Trump made, uncredited, days later.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2017

Where the arrangements solidify, they often use Pink Floyd’s techniques, including delayed-action drumbeats and gleaming keyboard tones that chime in while a power chord reverberates.

From New York Times • Dec. 17, 2009

All but two of the 187 children initially stricken with chloracne have recovered, and delayed-action cases that continue to occur have been responding to medication.

From Time Magazine Archive

Once we were seated to Dad’s satisfaction, he would focus, tell us to smile, click the delayed-action release, and race for the driver’s seat.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey