cunctation

cunctation

English

WOTD – 2 February 2009

Etymology

From Latin cūnctātiō (“a delaying, tarrying”), from cūnctor (“linger, hesitate”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /kʌŋkˈteɪʃən/

• Audio (US)

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Noun

cunctation (countable and uncountable, plural cunctations)

1. (obsolete) Delay, hesitation, procrastination.
   • 1646, Sir Thomas Browne, Pseudodoxia Epidemica, Folio Society 2007, p. 428:

     celerity should always be contempered with cunctation.

Derived terms

• cunctatory

Translations

delay, hesitation, procrastination

Polish: kunktatorstwo (pl) n, zwłoka (pl) f Russian: промедле́ние (ru) n (promedlénije), заде́ржка (ru) f (zadéržka)

Swedish: uppskov (sv) n