defer

Meaning

Verb

• To delay or postpone
• After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
• To delay, to wait.
• To submit to the opinion or desire of others in respect to their judgment or authority.
• To render, to offer.

Origin

• Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren, from Old French differer, from Latin differō.
• From late Middle English differren, from Middle French déférer, from Latin dēferō.