▪ I. tarry, n.
(ˈtærɪ)
Also 4–6 tary, 6 tarie, Sc. tairrie.
[f. tarry v.]
† 1. The act of tarrying; spending or loss of time; delay, procrastination. Obs.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvii. (Machor) 485 Þane machore..reprowyt þe mastir man of his tary & his slawnes. 1451 J. Capgrave Life St. Gilbert (E.E.T.S.) 113 He, with-oute ony tary, mad calle all þe court of Rome. c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) E v, In tary is no trust, but ieopardy mortall. 1562 Sir R. Maitland Poems (1830) 17 To cheis and tak ane husband without tarie. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 142 The king determinat to compell them that was within the house, be lang tairrie to rander and gif it ower. 1745 Wright in N. Eng. Hist. & Gen. Reg. (1848) II. 207 We made no tarry but set forward for Fort Dummer. |
2. Temporary residence, sojourn; a ‘stay’. Now chiefly U.S.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xviii. (Egipciane) 1272 Vith hym na langer tary scho vald ma. 1516 Allen in Lodge Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1791) I. 11 He sayth his tarry is but short her. 1589 Reg. Privy Council Scot. IV. 425 In cais our tary sal happin..to be langair. 1786 M. Cutler in Life, etc. (1888) II. 273 To..make provisions for a much longer tarry. 1817 London Courier 7 July, The Duke of Wellington was on his arrival received by a guard of honour, and the band of the 88th continued to play during his Grace's tarry. 1866 Whittier Marg. Smith's Jrnl. Pr. Wks. 1889 I. 89 He is to make some little tarry in this town. |
▪ II. tarry, a.
(ˈtɑːrɪ)
[f. tar n.1 + -y.]
1. Consisting or composed of tar; of the nature of tar.
| 1552 Huloet, Tarrye, or of tarre, piceus. 1782 J. Trumbull M'Fingal 65 From nose and chin's remotest end, The tarry icicles depend. 1841 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. IV. 12/1 Its change from..a solid to that of a tarry, viscous, semifluid. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 517 All tarry and resinous substances absorb oxygen rapidly or slowly. |
b. Resembling tar; having the consistency, colour, or flavour of tar.
| 1880 M. Mackenzie Dis. Throat & Nose I. 154 The blood [of the heart] is [in certain cases of diphtheria] fluid and tarry. 1896 C. E. Ryan With Ambulance thro' Franco-German War v. 63 A small patch of blood-stained earth beside him—not red, but tarry-black. 1904 Daily News 27 Dec. 10 The Souchong teas..have a special flavour..which the trade describe as ‘tarry’. |
2. Covered, smeared, soiled, or impregnated with tar; tarred; black as if smeared with tar.
| a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 745 Tary tade [= toad], thous defate. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 23 Such [locks of wool] as are hairy and tarry. 1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2201/4 [He] had..an old black Tarrey Hat on his head. 1753 N. Jersey Archives XIX. 283 A Pair of tarry Duck Trowsers. 1824 M{supc}Culloch Highl., etc. Scot. I. 382 In contact with her tarry sides. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop v, Two or three tarry boys. |
b. fig. Thievish. (Cf. tarry-fingered in 4.)
| 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie II. xvii. 158 The gipsies hae tarry fingers, and ye would need an ee in your neck to watch them. |
3. fig. ? Foul, unclean; ? rude, uncultured.
| 1579 W. Wilkinson Confut. Familye of Loue 57 b, Poysoned speaches, and tarrye Rhetorick. 1779 J. Adams Diary 11 May, Wks. 1851 III. 200 Dr. W. told me of Tucker's rough, tarry speech about me, at the navy board. |
4. Comb.: tarry-breeks (orig. Sc.), -jacket, -John, humorous nicknames for a sailor (cf. tar n.1 3); tarry-fingered, -fisted adjs., having the fingers or hands smeared with tar; fig. thievish.
| 1786 Burns Dream xiii, Young royal *Tarry Breeks [Prince William], I learn, Ye've lately come athwart her. 1855 Kingsley Westw. Ho xxx, No old tarry-breeks of a sea-dog. |
| 1825 Jamieson, *Tarry-fingered, Tarry-handit, dishonest, disposed to carry off by stealth. |
| 1906 Daily Chron. 4 Aug. 8/4 All the gold that has ever been gathered by *tarry-fisted gentry of the Bragwell and Rudge order. |
| 1822 Scott Nigel iv, My husband must be the slave of every *tarry jacket that wants but a pound of oakum. |
| 1888 Stevenson Black Arrow iv. vi, Long-headed *tarry-Johns, that fear not fire nor water. |
Hence ˈtarriness, tarry condition or quality.
| 1892 Walsh Tea (Philad.) 193 This smokiness and ‘tarriness’ does not develop until after the teas have left China. |
▪ III. tarry, v. Now chiefly literary in Gt. Brit., still colloq. in U.S.
(ˈtærɪ)
Forms: 4–6 tarye, 4–7 tarie, tary, (5 tery, tare), 6 tarrye, 6–7 tarrie, 5– tarry.
[Of obscure origin: some would identify it with tary v. to irritate, or with tar v.2, tarre, OE. tęrᵹan to vex; to both of which the sense is an obstacle. See Note below.]
† 1. trans. To delay, retard, defer, put off (a thing, an action); to protract, prolong. Obs.
| c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 597 Thos howndes were lothe hys deþ for to tarye. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's Prol. 51 Sey forth thy tale, and tarie nat the tyme. 1388 Wyclif Ecclus. iv. 3 Tarie thou not [Vulg. non protrahas] the ȝifte to a man that is set in angwisch. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xi. vii. (Bodl. MS.) lf. 109/2 Ȝif is yuel and distemporat..it..tarieth and letteþ repinges of corne and of fruyte. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxxviii. 278 That he shulde for no mede tary rightfull sentence. 1583 T. Stocker Civ. Warres Lowe C. iv. 52 b, Whiche Citie not meanyng to tarrie the siege, rendred to the saied Count. |
† 2. To detain, delay, retard, keep back (a person or agent) for a time; to keep waiting; to hold in check, impede, hinder. Obs.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3921 Þat he may..In purgatory qwyte alle þe dett, Þat hym fra blis may tary or lett. c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 65, I wol nat taryen yow for it is pryme. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 235 Duke William and his men were longe y-taried in Seynt Valerik his haven. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xviii. vii. 735 Sir kyng, he sayd, tary me noo lenger for I may not tary. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. xxix. 7 So many stops tary us and stay us back. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 114 b, But gif..the parties wald set them to tary the court, with exceptions frivolous. |
3. intr. To delay or be tardy in beginning or doing anything, esp. in coming or going; to wait before doing something; to linger, loiter.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 3128, I coniure þe..þatou titli me telle & tarie nouȝ no lenger. 1382 Wyclif Ecclus. xiv. 12 Be thou myndeful for deth shal not tarien [Vulg. mors non tardat]. c 1400 Rule St. Benet 60/445 Bot chaistese þam & tery noght. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 489/2 Teryyn [MS. S. tarryyn] or longe a-bydyn, moror, pigritor. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. iii. xii. 193 Yf he had taried to the morn after. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1622) 238 Not daring to tary long about it. 1611 Bible Judg. v. 28 Why tarie the wheeles of his charets? 1693 Congreve Old Bach. iv. i, Nothing can be done here till I go, so that I'll tarry, d'ye see? 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 32 The waters cannot tarry long in their passage, but..run towards the..level grounds. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 610 He saw that if he tarried the royal cavalry would soon be in his rear. 1892 Nation (N.Y.) 27 Oct. 318/2 The good monks..were..going to attend high mass.., so we had no time to tarry. |
b. To linger in expectation of a person or occurrence, or until something is done or happens; to wait. Const. till, for, Sc. on, upon (with indirect passive).
| 1390 Gower Conf. I. 187 This false knyht..Hath taried til thei were aslepe. 1515 Barclay Egloges iv. (1570) D j b/2 What, tary man a while till better fortune come. 1526 Tindale John xxi. 23 Yf I will have hym to tary [Wyclif dwelle, 1611 tarry] tyll I come what is that to the? 1535 Coverdale Tobit v. 7, I praye the, tary for me, tyll I haue tolde my father. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 274, I..would tary to se the ende. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 427 Euphues knowing the tyde would tarrye for no man. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 124* He quha is challenged sall be taried vpon, vntill he returne hayme. 1765 M. Cutler in Life, etc. (1888) I. 9 Then the sacrament was administered (which I did not tarry to see). 1816 Scott Antiq. i, Time and tide tarry for no man. 1870 E. Peacock Ralf Skirl. I. 167 They had not long to tarry for the coming of their host. |
† 4. intr. To remain, stay, abide, continue (in some state or condition). Obs.
| c 1450 Lovelich Merlin 4521 Thus it Taryede jn-to pentecost feste. 1480 Robt. Devyll 25 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 219 Wyueles longe, said the duke, haue I taryed. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1580) 38 If the generall woorde be taken awaie, the kinde tarieth not. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 17 b/2 Els the ioyncte might be criple, and tarrye lame. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 488 Pardoned by the King, provyding they tarie well in tyme comeing. 1776 R. King in Life & Corr. (1894) I. 24 Few of the men now with Genl. will tarry longer than the expiration of their enlistments. 1814 Scott Wav. xii, Declining the Baron's invitation to tarry till after dinner [etc.]. |
b. To abide temporarily, to sojourn; to stay, remain, lodge (in a place). arch. exc. in U.S.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 87, I schal tee in-to Tarce, & tary þere a whyle. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VI. 127 The Danes taryenge in wynter at Repyndoun. 1538 Elyot, Pernocto.., to tarye all the nyghte. 1599 Massinger, etc. Old Law iv. i, As long as she tarried with her husband, she was Ellen. 1611 Bible Ps. lxviii. 12 She that taried at home, diuided the spoile. 1741 Richardson Pamela (1824) I. cii. 499 Miss Cope came..and tarried with me three days. 1766 J. Ingersoll Lett. Stamp-Act 62, I tarried that Night at Mr. Bishop's. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk., Leg. Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane..sojourned, or, as he expressed it, ‘tarried’, in Sleepy Hollow, for the purpose of instructing the children of the vicinity. 1850 Hawthorne Scarlet L. viii, I must tarry at home, and keep watch over my little Pearl. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxv. 2 Ortalus, I no more tarry the Muses among. 1877 Freeman Norm. Conq. (ed. 3) II. x. 469 There they were to tarry [earlier edd. remain] through Lent. |
5. trans. To wait for, wait in expectation of; to await, expect; † to stay for (a meal). † tarry out, to stay till the end of. to tarry a person's leisure: see leisure n. 3 c. arch.
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) VI. 23 Messias whom þe Iues taryede. 1579 G. Harvey Let. to Spenser Wks. (Grosart) I. 20 The Tyde tarryeth no manne, but manye a good manne is fayne to tarry the Tyde. 1654 Evelyn Diary 10 July, On Monday, I went again to the schools,..and..tarried out the whole Act in St. Mary's. a 1662 Heylin Laud (1668) 176 He caused me to tarry Dinner with him. 1829 Lytton Devereux i. viii, I pressed him..to tarry your coming. 1868 Milman St. Paul's xi. 283 The Lord Mayor tarried the sermon, which lasted into the night. |
† b. To outstay, stay over (a given time). Obs.
| ? a 1500 Symmye & Bruder 66 in Bannatyne Poems (Hunter. Cl.) 416 Bot or thay twynd him and his dudis, The tyme of none wes tareit; Wa worth this wedding, for be thir widis, The meit is al miskareit. |
[Note. It cannot be disputed that the ME. forms of this verb are identical with those of tary ‘to provoke, irritate, harass, vex, excite’, both being in ME. tery-, tary- (the spelling tarry being rare before 1500). Original identity with tary, and thus derivation from OE. tęrᵹan, would also account for the apparent identity of tarry and tarrow, since both could go back to the OE. variant types tęrᵹan (tærᵹan), tęrw(i)an (tærw(i)an), with phonetic development according to the position of the ᵹ and w in different inflected forms: cf. harrow and harry, worow and worry. The consequent identification with OF. tarier might also help to explain the existence of the derivatives tarriage, tarriance, tarryment, with French suffixes (although it is to be noted that these appear as derivatives of tarry and not of tary).
But no sense in the least approaching ‘tarry’ occurs in OE. tęrᵹan, tęrw(i)an, or in OF. tarier, and the difficulty of deriving this sense from that of ‘provoke, vex, harass’ seems almost insurmountable. Some have suggested an influence upon tarry of the synonymous targe v.1, OF. targier; but this seems impossible. Others, seeing that ME. terwen, terre, tar v.2 and tary had both a (rare) sense (2) ‘to weary, fatigue, tire’ (as if influenced by OE. téorian, ME. tiere, tere, tire) have thought that this sense provided a connecting link between the notions of ‘vex’ and ‘delay, retard’; but there is nothing in the quotations to confirm this view, and the actual history of tarry in its existing sense remains unascertained.]