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tar·ry¹

(tărē)

v. tar·ried, tar·ry·ing, tar·ries

v.intr.

1. To delay or be late in going, coming, or doing something: "O let us be married! Too long we have tarried!" (Edward Lear).

2. To wait or stay temporarily: tarried after the show to chat with friends. See Synonyms at stay¹.

v.tr.
Archaic

To wait for; await.

n.
Archaic

A temporary stay; a sojourn.

[Middle English tarien.]

tarri·er n.

tar·ry²

(tärē)

adj. tar·ri·er, tar·ri·est

Of, resembling, or covered with tar.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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