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tarry

1
[ tar-ee ]
/ ˈtær i /
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See synonyms for: tarry / tarrier / tarrying on Thesaurus.com
verb (used without object), tar·ried, tar·ry·ing.
to remain or stay, as in a place; sojourn: He tarried in Baltimore on his way to Washington.
to delay or be tardy in acting, starting, coming, etc.; linger or loiter.
to wait.
verb (used with object), tar·ried, tar·ry·ing.
Archaic. to wait for.
noun, plural tar·ries.
a stay; sojourn.
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Origin of tarry

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English taryen “to delay,” tary “a delay”; origin unknown

synonym study for tarry

3. See wait.

OTHER WORDS FROM tarry

tar·ri·er, nounun·tar·ried, adjectiveun·tar·ry·ing, adjective

Words nearby tarry

Tarragona, Tarrasa, tarred with the same brush, tarriance, Tar River, tarry, Tarrytown, tars-, tarsal, tar sand, tarseal

Other definitions for tarry (2 of 2)

tarry2
[ tahr-ee ]
/ ˈtɑr i /
adjective, tar·ri·er, tar·ri·est.
of or like tar; smeared with tar.

Origin of tarry

2
First recorded in 1545–55; tar1 + -y1

OTHER WORDS FROM tarry

tar·ri·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to tarry

abide, bide, dally, drag, dwell, filibuster, lag, linger, lodge, loiter, pause, poke, procrastinate, remain, rest, sojourn, stall, stay, stop, tail

How to use tarry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tarry

tarry
/ (ˈtærɪ) /
verb -ries, -rying or -ried
(intr) to delay in coming or going; linger
(intr) to remain temporarily or briefly
(intr) to wait or stay
(tr) archaic, or poetic to await
noun plural -ries
rare a stay

Derived forms of tarry

tarrier, noun

Word Origin for tarry

C14 tarien, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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