waiting

[wey-ting]

noun

1. a period of waiting; pause, interval, or delay.

adjective

1. serving or being in attendance.

   waiting man;

   waiting maid;

   waiting woman.

Other Word Forms

• waitingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of waiting¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English (noun); wait, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in waiting, in attendance, as upon a royal personage.

Example Sentences

Prosecutors said the thieves were inside for four minutes and made their escape on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38, before switching to cars.

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Five days after Hurricane Melissa pummelled into western Jamaica with record force, residents in devastated communities along the coast are still desperately waiting for help.

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Now that Elen has received her diagnosis, she is waiting for a laparoscopy to surgically remove the endometriosis.

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They are also astonishingly diverse, with tens of thousands of species already identified and many more waiting to be discovered.

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Earlier this year, the first minister pledged his government would bring down NHS waiting lists and make it easier to get GP appointments.

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Related Words

• accessible 
• apt 
• handy 
• qualified 
• ripe