verb
(intransitive) To delay movement or action until some event or time; to remain neglected or in readiness.
(intransitive, stative, US) To wait tables; to serve customers in a restaurant or other eating establishment.
(transitive, now rare) To delay movement or action until the arrival or occurrence of; to await. (Now generally superseded by “wait for”.)
(transitive, obsolete) To attend on; to accompany; especially, to attend with ceremony or respect.
(obsolete) To attend as a consequence; to follow upon; to accompany.
(obsolete, colloquial) To defer or postpone (especially a meal).
(obsolete, except in phrases) To watch with malicious intent; to lie in wait
(intransitive) To remain faithful to one’s partner or betrothed during a prolonged period of absence.
noun
A delay.
An ambush.
(computing) Ellipsis of wait state.
(obsolete) One who watches; a watchman.
(in the plural, obsolete, UK) Hautboys, or oboes, played by town musicians.
(in the plural, UK) Musicians who sing or play at night or in the early morning, especially at Christmas time; serenaders; musical watchmen. [formerly waites, wayghtes.]
interjection
(informal) Tells the other speaker to stop talking, typing etc. for a moment, often to allow clarification.