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demur

verb
/dɪˈmɜː/UK/dɪˈmɜɹ/US

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)).

  1. derived from *(s)mer-✻ — “to fall into thinking; to remember”
  2. derived from dēmoror — “to delay, detain; to linger, tarry”
  3. derived from dēmorārī
  4. derived from dēmorāre
  5. derived from demorer
  6. derived from demorer
  7. inherited from demuren — “to delay; to linger; to remain (in office); to keep, retain (?)”

Definitions

  1. Chiefly followed by to, and sometimes by at or on

    Chiefly followed by to, and sometimes by at or on: to object or be reluctant; to balk, to take exception.

    • I demur to that statement.
    • The personnel demurred at the management’s new scheme.
    • The Sultan […] deſiring him novv to ratifie them, and in demonſtration thereof to give his hand to the Kings Embaſſadours. The Caliph demurred hereat, as counting ſuch a geſture a diminution to his State; […]

  2. To submit a demurrer (“motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary…

    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”).

    • He that demurreth in Law confeſſeth all ſuch matters of fact as are well and ſufficiently pleaded.
    • The plaintiff demurred, that is to say, admitted Sir Edward [Hales]'s plea to be true in fact, but denied that it was a sufficient answer.

  3. To endure, to last.

  4. ›+ 14 more definitions

    1. To linger, to tarry.

      • The Eele is here, and in this hollow cave / You'll finde, if that our looks on it demurre, / A great wast in the bottome of his furre.

    2. To remain, to stay.

    3. To suspend judgment or proceedings because of a difficulty or doubt

      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.

      • The doore of grace turnes upon ſmooth hinges vvide opening to ſend out, but ſoon ſhutting to recall the precious offers of mercy to a nation:[…]. This is all vve get by demurring in Gods ſervice.
      • VVell, the VVeſt-Saxon King vvas quickly overcome, and all his Complices either killed, or conquered, and yet King Edvvine demurred to embrace Chriſtianity.

    4. To have doubts

      To have doubts; to be doubtful.

    5. Followed by upon

      Followed by upon: to be captivated or fixated; to dwell on, to linger.

    6. To object or take exception to (something).

      • I demur the inference from these facts that Homer must have lived at some far later period, when he could have seen such works. Even if he had never seen any representations of life, his imagination might have conceived them.

    7. To cause delay to (someone or something)

      To cause delay to (someone or something); to put off.

      • I ask'd the Lavvyer; He demands a Fee, / And then demurres me vvith a vaine delay: […]
      • […] I ſvvear by yonder pole, / Nay by my fathers Rurall ſoul, / Henceforth to take a rougher courſe, / And, vvhat you vvould demur, to force.

    8. To have doubts or hesitate about (something).

    9. An act of objecting or taking exception

      An act of objecting or taking exception; a scruple; also, an exception taken or objection to something.

      • All my demurrs but double his attacks; / At laſt he vvhiſpers, "Do; and vve go ſnacks."
      • Nicholas was not much disposed to sleep, being in truth too anxious, so after a little demur he accepted the offer, […]

    10. An act of continuing

      An act of continuing; a continuance.

    11. An act of lingering or tarrying.

    12. An act of remaining or staying

      An act of remaining or staying; a residence, a stay.

      • VVe ſavv this tovvn only in tranſitu, but it merited a little demurr.

    13. A state of having doubts

      A state of having doubts; a hesitation, a pause.

    14. Synonym of demurrer (“a motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary…

      Synonym of demurrer (“a 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”).

      • [W]ith Rejoinders and Replies, / Long Bills, and Anſvvers, ſtuft vvith Lies, / Demurr, Imparlance, and Eſſoign, / The Parties ne'er could Iſſue join: / For Sixteen Years the Cauſe vvas ſpun, / And then ſtood vvhere it firſt begun.

The neighborhood

Derived

demurrable, demurral, demurrer, demurring

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for demur. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA