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Added 9 October 2026

tarry

/ˈtæ.ɹi/ verb

In Latin: cunctor Wiktionary

verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tarry at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.
To linger in expectation of something or until something is done or happens.
To abide, stay or wait somewhere, especially if longer than planned.

noun

A sojourn.

adjective

Resembling tar.
Covered with tar.

Origin

From Middle English tarien, terien (“to vex, harass, cause to hesitate, delay”), from Old English tirian, tirġan, terġan (“to worry, exasperate, pain, provoke, excite”), from Proto-Germanic *terganą, *targijaną (“to pull, tease, irritate”), from Proto-Indo-European *derHgʰ- (“to pull, tug, irritate”). Cognate with Dutch tergen (“to provoke”), German zergen (“to vex, irritate, provoke”), Norwegian Bokmål terge (“to irritate, provoke”), Russian дёргать (djórgatʹ, “to pull, yank, jerk, pester”). Compare also Walloon tårdjî (“to be late, to be slow, to wait”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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