To wait upon

To wait upon
Wait Wait, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waited}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Waiting}.] [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch, attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahh[=e]n to watch, be awake. [root]134. See {Wake}, v. i.] [1913 Webster] 1. To watch; to observe; to take notice. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

``But [unless] ye wait well and be privy, I wot right well, I am but dead,'' quoth she. --Chaucer. [1913 Webster]

2. To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary till the arrival of some person or event; to rest in patience; to stay; not to depart. [1913 Webster]

All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. --Job xiv. 14. [1913 Webster]

They also serve who only stand and wait. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

{To wait on} or {To wait upon}. (a) To attend, as a servant; to perform services for; as, to wait on a gentleman; to wait on the table. ``Authority and reason on her wait.'' --Milton. ``I must wait on myself, must I?'' --Shak. (b) To attend; to go to see; to visit on business or for ceremony. (c) To follow, as a consequence; to await. ``That ruin that waits on such a supine temper.'' --Dr. H. More. (d) To look watchfully at; to follow with the eye; to watch. [R.] ``It is a point of cunning to wait upon him with whom you speak with your eye.'' --Bacon. (e) To attend to; to perform. ``Aaron and his sons . . . shall wait on their priest's office.'' --Num. iii. 10. (f) (Falconry) To fly above its master, waiting till game is sprung; -- said of a hawk. --Encyc. Brit. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • wait — [wāt] vi. [ME waiten < NormFr waitier < Frank * wahten, to guard, akin to OHG wahta, a guard, watch: for IE base see WAKE1] 1. to stay in a place or remain in readiness or in anticipation (until something expected happens or for someone to… …   English World dictionary

  • Wait — Wait, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Waited}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Waiting}.] [OE. waiten, OF. waitier, gaitier, to watch, attend, F. guetter to watch, to wait for, fr. OHG. wahta a guard, watch, G. wacht, from OHG. wahh[=e]n to watch, be awake. [root]134. See …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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