linger

Meaning

Verb

• To stay or remain in a place or situation, especially as if unwilling to depart or not easily able to do so.
• To remain alive or existent although still proceeding toward death or extinction; to die gradually.
• To consider or contemplate for a period of time; to engage in analytic thinking or discussion.

Origin

• From Middle English lenger, lengeren, frequentative of lengen, from Old Norse lengja ("to lengthen"), from Proto-Germanic *langijaną (compare Dutch lengen, German längen), related to the root of long.