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dilatory

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The definition of dilatory is someone who causes delay or is slow to take action.

(adjective)

An example of dilatory is a person who asks a million questions and demands extensive research simply to slow a project down.

See dilatory in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

causing or tending to cause delay; meant to gain time, defer action, etc.
inclined to delay; slow or late in doing things

Origin: ME dilatorie < LL dilatorius < L dilator, dilatory person < dilatus, pp. of differre, defer

Related Forms:

dilatorily adverb
dilatoriness noun

See dilatory in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Intended to delay.
Tending to postpone or delay: dilatory in his work habits. See Synonyms at slow.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English dilatorie

Origin: , from Latin dīlātōrius

Origin: , from dīlātor, delayer

Origin: , from dīlātus

Origin: , past participle of differre, to delay

Origin: : dī-, dis-, apart; see dis-

Origin: + lātus, carried; see telə- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

dilˌa·toˈri·ly adverb

dilˈa·toˌri·ness noun

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