de·fer 1
(dĭ-fûr′)intr.v. de·ferred,
de·fer·ring,
de·fers 1. To put off; postpone.
2. To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft).
[Middle English differren, to postpone, differ; see differ.]
de·fer′ra·ble adj.
de·fer′rer n.
Synonyms: defer1, postpone, shelve, suspend
These verbs mean to put off until a later time: deferred paying the bills; postponing our trip; shelved the issue; suspending train service.
de·fer 2
(dĭ-fûr′)v. de·ferred, de·fer·ring, de·fers
v.intr. To submit to the wish or decision of another, as in recognition of authority. See Synonyms at
yield.
v.tr. To commit or entrust to another: The principal deferred the decision to the school board.
[Middle English
deferen, from Old French
deferer, from Latin
dēferre,
to carry away, refer to :
dē-,
de- +
ferre,
to carry; see
bher- in
Indo-European roots.]
de·fer′rer n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
de•fer•ra•ble
(dɪˈfɜr ə bəl)
adj. 1. capable of being deferred or postponed.
2. eligible to receive a military deferment.
[1940–45]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.