/dɪˈmɜː/, /dɪˈmɜɹ/
OriginPIE word
*de
From Middle English demuren (“to delay; to linger; to remain (in office); to keep, retain (?)”), from Anglo-Norman demorer and Old French demorer, demourer (“to remain, stay”) (modern French demeurer), from Vulgar Latin dēmorāre, from Latin dēmorārī, the present active infinitive of Latin dēmoror (“to delay, detain; to linger, tarry”), from de- (intensifying prefix) + moror (“to delay, detain; to hinder, impede; to linger, loiter”) (from mora (“a delay; hindrance, obstacle”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mer- (“to fall into thinking; to remember”), probably referring to a time for thinking) + -or (variant of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)).
- intransitiveChiefly followed by to, and sometimes by at or on: to object or be reluctant; to balk, to take exception.
“I demur to that statement.”
“The personnel demurred at the management’s new scheme.”
“The Sultan […] deſiring him novv to ratifie them, and in demonſtration thereof to give his hand to the Kings Embaſſadours. The Caliph demurred hereat, as counting ſuch a geſture a diminution to his St”
- intransitiveTo submit a demurrer (“motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defence, and hence whether the party bringing the…
“He that demurreth in Law confeſſeth all ſuch matters of fact as are well and ſufficiently pleaded.”
“The plaintiff demurred, that is to say, admitted Sir Edward [Hales]'s plea to be true in fact, but denied that it was a sufficient answer.”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo endure, to last.
- intransitive, obsoleteTo linger, to tarry.
“The Eele is here, and in this hollow cave / You'll finde, if that our looks on it demurre, / A great wast in the bottome of his furre.”
- intransitive, obsoleteTo remain, to stay.
- intransitive, obsoleteTo suspend judgment or proceedings because of a difficulty or doubt; to put off the conclusion or determination of a matter; to delay, to hesitate, to pause.
“[The Governor of Picardie and Chastilion of Newhaven said] there muſt be much vvaſt of time if the Engliſh ſhould lye at Guiſnes and the French at Ardes, and that the equality vvould be more, and the ”
“The doore of grace turnes upon ſmooth hinges vvide opening to ſend out, but ſoon ſhutting to recall the precious offers of mercy to a nation:[…]. This is all vve get by demurring in Gods ſervice.”
“VVell, the VVeſt-Saxon King vvas quickly overcome, and all his Complices either killed, or conquered, and yet King Edvvine demurred to embrace Chriſtianity.”
- intransitive, obsolete, rareTo have doubts; to be doubtful.
- figuratively, intransitive, obsoleteFollowed by upon: to be captivated or fixated; to dwell on, to linger.
- rare, transitiveTo object or take exception to (something).
“I demur the inference from these facts that Homer must have lived at some far later period, when he could have seen such works. Even if he had never seen any representations of life, his imagination m”
- obsolete, transitiveTo cause delay to (someone or something); to put off.
“[The Jews believe that God] ſitteth in iudgement, and out of the books taketh reckoning of eurie mans life, and pronounceth ſentence accordingly. […] [T]he third, of the meane ſort, vvhoſe iudgement i”
“I ask'd the Lavvyer; He demands a Fee, / And then demurres me vvith a vaine delay: […]”
“[…] I ſvvear by yonder pole, / Nay by my fathers Rurall ſoul, / Henceforth to take a rougher courſe, / And, vvhat you vvould demur, to force.”
- obsolete, transitiveTo have doubts or hesitate about (something).
“VVhat may this mean? Language of Man pronounc't / By Tongue of Brute, and human ſenſe expreſt? / The firſt at leſt of theſe I thought deni'd / To Beaſts, vvhom God on thir Creation-Day / Created mute ”
- An act of objecting or taking exception; a scruple; also, an exception taken or objection to something.
“If publique Aſſemblies of Divines cannot agree upon a right vvay, private Conventicles of illeterate men, vvill ſoon finde a vvrong. Bivious demurres breed devious reſolutions. Paſſengers to heaven ar”
“All my demurrs but double his attacks; / At laſt he vvhiſpers, "Do; and vve go ſnacks."”
“Nicholas was not much disposed to sleep, being in truth too anxious, so after a little demur he accepted the offer, […]”
- obsoleteAn act of continuing; a continuance.
“[G]ood People, living vvithin the Limits of true and lavvful Matrimony, ſhall not by Malice or ill VVill, be ſo long detained and interrupted from their Right, as in times paſt they have been: Neither”
- obsoleteAn act of lingering or tarrying.
“[A]lbeit his Highneſs had cauſe, as the ſame vvrote, to marvel of your long demor, and lack of expedition of one or other of the things committed to your charge; yet did his Highneſs right vvell perſu”
- obsoleteAn act of remaining or staying; a residence, a stay.
“VVe ſavv this tovvn only in tranſitu, but it merited a little demurr.”
- obsoleteA state of having doubts; a hesitation, a pause.
“The King told me, […] That I ſhould have the Character of Ambaſſador Extraordinary, and the ſame Allovvance I ſhou'd have had in Spain: Upon this Offer I made no Demurr, but immediately accepted it, a”
- obsoleteSynonym of demurrer (“a motion by a party to a legal action for the immediate or summary judgment of the court on the question of whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defence, and hence whether the party bringing th…
“[W]ith Rejoinders and Replies, / Long Bills, and Anſvvers, ſtuft vvith Lies, / Demurr, Imparlance, and Eſſoign, / The Parties ne'er could Iſſue join: / For Sixteen Years the Cauſe vvas ſpun, / And the”
Formsdemurs(present, singular, third-person) · demurring(participle, present) · demurred(participle, past) · demurred(past) · demur(infinitive) · demur(first-person, present, singular) · demurred(first-person, past, singular) · demur(present, second-person, singular) · demurrest(archaic, present, second-person, singular) · demurred(past, second-person, singular) · demurredst(archaic, past, second-person, singular) · demurreth(archaic, present, singular, third-person) · demurred(past, singular, third-person) · demur(plural, present) · demurred(past, plural) · demur(present, subjunctive) · demurred(past, subjunctive) · demur(imperative, present) · -(imperative, past) · demurs(plural)