• IPA: /dɪˈfɜː(ɹ)/

defer (defers, present participle deferring; past and past participle deferred)

1. (transitive) To delay or postpone; especially to postpone induction into military service.
   • 1591, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene vii], page 141 ↗, column 2:

     Deferre the ſpoile of the Citie vntill night:

   • 1818, [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. In Three Volumes, volume I, London: Printed [by Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, OCLC 830979744 ↗, [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=emu.010001278701;view=1up;seq=81 page 65]:

     My journey to Ingolstadt, which had been deferred by these events, was now again determined upon.

2. (American football) After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
3. (intransitive) To delay, to wait.
   • 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: Printed by J. M[acock] for John Starkey […], OCLC 228732398 ↗, lines 474–476, [https://archive.org/stream/paradiseregaindp00milt_0#page/{}/mode/1up page 34]:

     God […] will not long defer / To vindicate the glory of his name

• differ

• French: différer, reporter, remettre
• German: aufschieben, aufheben, verzögern, vertagen, verschieben, zurückstellen, hinausschieben, stunden, aussetzen, den Vortritt lassen
• Portuguese: adiar, pospor
• Russian: откла́дывать
• Spanish: diferir

• German: abwarten, zuwarten, zögern

defer (defers, present participle deferring; past and past participle deferred)

1. (legal, intransitive) To submit to the opinion or desire of another in respect to their judgment or authority.
   • 1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number MI, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], OCLC 1042815524 ↗, part II:

     "Well, I must defer to your judgment. You are captain," he said with marked civility.

2. To render, to offer.

   • worship deferred to the Virgin

• German: sich fügen, nachgeben, sich beugen, sich einlassen auf
• Portuguese: deferir
• Spanish: deferir