Tarry

Pronunciation

• verb enPR: tăr'Ä“, IPA: /ˈtæ.ɹi/
• adjective enPR: tär'Ä“, IPA: /ˈtɑːri/
• Rhymes: -æri, -ɑːri

Alternative forms

• tarrow Scotland

From Middle English tarien, terien ("to vex, harass, cause to hesitate, delay"), from Old English tirian, tirgan, tergan ("to worry, exasperate, pain, provoke, excite"), from Proto-Germanic *terganą, *targijaną ("to pull, tease, irritate"), from Proto-Indo-European *deregʰ- ("to pull, tug, irritate"). Cognate with Dutch tergen ("to provoke"), German zergen ("to vex, irritate, provoke"), Russian дергать (dergat', "to pull, yank, jerk, pluck up").

Full definition of tarry

Verb

1. (intransitive) To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.It is true that the Messiah will come, though he may tarry. (Hitchens quoting translated Maimonides)
2. (intransitive) To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
3. (intransitive) To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.
4. (intransitive) To stay somewhere temporarily; to sojourn.
5. (transitive) To wait for; to stay or stop for.
• ShakespeareHe that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding.
• Sir Walter ScottHe plodded on, ... tarrying no further question.

Synonyms

• (stay or wait, especially longer than planned): hang about, hang around, linger, loiter
• (stay somewhere temporarily): sojourn, stay, stay over, stop, stop over

Noun

1. A sojourn.

Synonyms

• (sojourn): stay, stop, stop-over

tar + -y

Adjective

1. Resembling tar.
2. Covered with tar.

Synonyms

• (resembling tar) pitchy
• (covered with tar) bituminized (treated with tar), pitchy