wait
To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
Verb 3 meanings
To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
“Wait here until your car arrives.”
To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
“She used to wait in this joint.”
To remain faithful to one’s partner or betrothed during a prolonged period of absence.
Noun 3 meanings
A delay.
“I had a very long wait at the airport security check.”
An ambush.
“They lay in wait for the patrol.”
Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen.
Interjection 1 meaning
Tells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment, often to allow clarification.
“- And so I went upstairs— - Wait. Your house has two floors?”
Etymology
From Middle English waiten, from Anglo-Norman waiter, waitier (compare French guetter from Old French gaitier, guaitier), from Frankish *wahtwēn (“to watch, guard”), derivative of Frankish *wahtu (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Germanic *wahtwō (“guard, watch”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be fresh, cheerful, awake”).
Similar and opposite words
WAIT at a glance
WAIT has 4 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (W 4 + A 1 + I 1 + T 1) and 7 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #426 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with wait
All rhymes- PORTRAIT10
- BAIT6
- TRAIT5
- AWAIT8
- STRAIT6
- GAIT5
- TAIT4
- CLICKBAIT19
- PARFAIT12
- PLAIT7
- KRAIT9
- WHITEBAIT17
One letter away
- WANT7
- BAIT6
- WATT7
- WRIT7
- WHIT10
- GAIT5
- TAIT4
- WAIL7
- WART7
- WAST7
- WAIN7
- WAFT10
- WAIF10
- WAID8
- WAIS7
- RAIT4
- WAIR7
- WADT8
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