defer: English has two distinct verbs defer. The one meaning ‘delay’ [14] is ultimately the same words as differ. It comes via Old French differer from Latin differre ‘carry apart, delay’, a compound verb formed from the prefix dis- ‘apart’ and ferre ‘carry’ (related to English bear). The Latin verb’s past participle, dīlātus, is the source of English dilatory [15]. Defer ‘submit’ [15] comes via Old French deferer from Latin dēferre ‘carry away’, a compound verb formed from the prefix dē- ‘away’ and ferre.
The notion of submission seems to have arisen from an earlier application to referring, or ‘carrying’, a matter to someone else. => bear, dilatory
defer (v.1)
"to delay," late 14c., differren, deferren, from Old French differer (14c.), from Latin differre "carry apart, scatter, disperse;" also "be different, differ;" also "defer, put off, postpone," (see differ). Etymologically identical with differ; the spelling and pronunciation differentiated from 15c., perhaps partly by association of this word with delay.
defer (v.2)
"yield," mid-15c., from Middle French déférer (14c.) "to yield, comply," from Latin deferre "carry away, transfer, grant," from de- "down, away" (see de-) + ferre "carry" (see infer). Main modern sense is from meaning "refer (a matter) to someone," which also was in Latin.
双语例句
1. We wish to defer our decision until next week.
我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定.
来自《简明英汉词典》
2. I shall defer replying till I hear from home.
我将等接到家信以后再给你答复.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
3. We will defer to whatever the committee decides.