demur

Where “demur” sits in English frequency

Definition

1. 1
   Chiefly followed by to, and sometimes by at or on: to object or be reluctant; to balk, to take exception.
2. 2
   To submit a demurrer (“motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defence, and hence whether the party bringing the motion is required to answer or proceed further”).
3. 3
   To endure, to last.
4. 4
   To linger, to tarry.
5. 5
   To remain, to stay.
6. 6
   To suspend judgment or proceedings because of a difficulty or doubt; to put off the conclusion or determination of a matter; to delay, to hesitate, to pause.
7. 7
   To have doubts; to be doubtful.
8. 8
   Followed by upon: to be captivated or fixated; to dwell on, to linger.
9. 9
   To object or take exception to (something).
10. 10
    To cause delay to (someone or something); to put off.
11. 11
    To have doubts or hesitate about (something).

Etymology

PIE word *de From Middle English demuren (“to delay; to linger; to remain (in office); to keep, retain (?)”), from Anglo-Norman demorer and Old French demorer, demourer (“to remain, stay”) (modern French demeurer), from Vulgar Latin dēmorāre, from Latin dēmorārī, the present active infinitive of Latin dēmoror (“to delay, detain; to linger, tarry”), from de- (intensifying prefix) + moror (“to delay, detain; to hinder, impede; to linger, loiter”) (from mora (“a delay; hindrance, obstacle”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to fall into thinking; to remember”), probably referring to a time for thinking) + -or (variant of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).

This word in other languages

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