tarry Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb be about
    loaf; footle; mess about; lallygag; linger; lollygag; lurk; mill about; hang around; lounge; loiter; mill around.
    • The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square
    • Who is this man that is hanging around the department?
  2. verb leave slowly and hesitantly
    linger.
  3. adjective satellite having the characteristics of pitch or tar
    pitchy; resiny; resinous.

WordNet

Tar"ry adjective
Etymology
From Tar, n.
Definitions
  1. Consisting of, or covered with, tar; like tar.
Tar"ry intransitive verb
Etymology
OE. tarien to irritate (see Tarre); but with a change of sense probably due to confusion with OE. targen to delay, OF. targier, fr. (assumed) LL. tardicare, fr. L. tardare to make slow, to tarry, fr. tardus slow. Cf. Tardy.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Tarried ; present participle & verbal noun Tarrying
Definitions
  1. To stay or remain behind; to wait.
    Tarry ye for us, until we come again. Ex. xxiv. 14.
  2. To delay; to put off going or coming; to loiter.
    Come down unto me, tarry not. Gen. xic. 9.
    One tarried here, there hurried one. Emerson.
  3. To stay; to abide; to continue; to lodge.
    Tarry all night, and wash your feet. Gen. xix. 2.
    Syn. -- To abide; continue; lodge; await; loiter.
Tar"ry transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To delay; to defer; to put off. Obs.
    Tarry us here no longer than to-morrow. Chaucer.
  2. To wait for; to stay or stop for. Archaic
    He that will have a cake out of the wheat must needs tarry the grinding. Shak.
    He plodded on, . . . tarrying no further question. Sir W. Scott.
Tar"ry noun
Definitions
  1. Stay; stop; delay. Obs. E. Lodge.

Webster 1913